Lewis' Revenge
by Quazie89
Summary: Five years after the movie, Lewis returns to Old Stump to get revenge on Albert for killing Clinch Leatherwood.
1. PROLOGUE: A Deal With A Devil

**Author's note**_:_ My father gave me the idea for this story. We were talking about how they coulld do a sequel for a Million Ways To Die In The West, and my dad suggested that Lewis could come back, and thought he could back wanting to get revenge on Albert for killing Clinch Leatherwood. It's not looking like a sequel could get made now, though, considering how it did at the box office and with the critics, but I had to write this story anyway. I couldn't get it out of my head. I hope you enjoy it.

PROLOGUE:

A Deal With A Devil

Albert Stark was going to die.

Or so Lewis thought when he woke up on the morning he had decided to set out to find some snake venom.

Blinking the grogginess out of his still-bleary eyes, he yawned, stretched, and sat up in his bed. Throwing his long, skinny legs over the mattress, he staggered to his feet, steadying himself. Once he had balanced himself , he stumbled to the kitchen, still a little disoriented.

When he got to the kitchen, he bent over the sink, where he had wrapped up the meat from the coyote he had killed last night and left it. He picked it up, layed it over on the counter to the side, and started to unwrap it. He tore a chunk of meat from it and threw it into the old fire place, in which he had already put logs in last night and built a fire this morning, knowing he was going to be setting out, turning it on to heat it. When it was done, he got it out, left it on the pan he had put it in before he had shoved it into the stove, and sat down at the kitchen table to eat it. He chewed on it for the next several minutes, savoring the flavor of it. Coyotes were annoying little bastards, and they were tough little shits to kill (Lewis, who wasn't a very strong man to begin with, had fought with the one he was eating now for long hours until the night before he had, at last, made it weak enough for him to kill), but they were good for one thing: they made a good meal for you when you when you most needed it.

Lewis ate in silence. He had waited five years for this day. He had spent, two, three years, almost, designing and building this pathetic little shack out in the middle of this miserable, godforsaken desert. He had spent the next three years plotting his revenge, biding his time, After Albert Stark had shot and killed Clinch Leatherwood, Lewis had left Old Stump for a few years in order to have a little more time to himself to think about what he was going to do next, deciding it would be best to wait until all the hubbub and brew haw surrounding Clinch's death settled down, anyway. He had known, that, if he had stayed in town a moment longer after Albert Stark had shot and killed Clinch, he would've been hauled off to jail, and without trial. There had been just too many witness who had seen him doing Clinch's dirty work. Anna, being Clinch's wife, had hung around with him and his men all the time and knew he had been Clinch's right hand man. Now she, Albert, and a handful of other Old Stump townspeople, had seen him fighting on Clinch's side during the brawl that had taken place in the streets of the town after Albert, with a newfound sense of courage Lewis thought he had never had, had returned from God knew where, his friends gaining up on Clinch's group during the fray. They weren't going to be about to let him run scot-free without a fight.

Lewis snarled. _Anna_, _that treacherous bitch,_ he thought. She was going to get what she had coming to her too. She wasn't about to get away with betraying Clinch. She had had a hand in his death, too. She had been the one, after all, who had cheated on him and ran off with Albert. He had something special planned just for her.

After he had finished eating, Lewis licked his lips clean with his tongue, strengthened by the meal. Standing up from the table, he headed to the bathroom, which, consisting of a small, metal tub that he used to bathe in and a wooden bucket that he used to piss and shit in, must've been the smallest room in the house. Shaking his head at these pathetic living conditions he had somehow managed to found himself living in, he sighed, disgusted with himself. He had never thought he would be living in such a pitiful state, but, then again, did anybody? Didn't everybody picture themselves growing up in a big ass mansion with lots of cash, slaves, and a wealthy spouse?

Lewis, not for the first time, found himself longing for such a life. Stripping his clothes off, he poured some water from another bucket he kept nearby into the tub, sliding himself down into it. He stayed there for the next couple of hours in water he had gotten from an oasis that had at least been a three to four days ride away, shivering. The water, which had been in there for days (he had took it out of the box of ice he had saved up and had put it in the tub to take a bath with the other day, but he hadn't bothered to take it back out, and now the ice, which was already hard to come by, was melted anyway.), was now ice cold.

When he was done, he stepped out of the tub, dripping, and dried himself off with a towel he kept hanging above the tub on a nail. Putting an extra pair of clean clothes on, he walked through the house, and started to gather the things he knew he would need for his journey.

He packed the rest of the coyote meat, some extra food, his gun, a flask of water and a few more bottles of it for the road, shoving it all into a bag he had picked when he had made his way through the kitchen. When he thought he had all that he needed, he walked out the door, locking it behind him. Without looking back, he saddled his horse, threw what little of his provisions he had over it's back, and mounted it's back. He rode off toward the horizon, determined now, more then, ever to kill Albert Stark.

* * *

He had rode up behind the savages late at night, long after the sun had gone down and the moon had came up. Even though it was dark out, and it would've been cooler in most places at this time of night, the temperature in the desert was still pretty fucking high, and numerous times he found himself wiping his sweaty forehead with the bandana he always had wiped around his neck as he stared down on the savages, waiting for the right moment to ride down in on them.

Surrounded by their Teepees, they were camped out in the ravine under the cliff he was standing on, sitting around a campfire they had built. One of them, he assumed it was the Chief judging by the headdress he wore, was sitting at the head of the fire, telling a story with his hands and his deep, gravel-like voice. From the cliff he couldn't hear what he was saying, but he didn't really care. He had came here for one thing and one thing only.

He had seen the way Albert had shot and killed Clinch Leatherwood. The venom the sheep farmer had put in the bullet he had used to kill Clinch with had been no ordinary venom. No, it had been too strong. Clinch had been dead before he had even hit the ground. He thought it must've been some stronger, supernatural force in the venom that had killed Clinch Leatherwood, neither Albert nor the bullet, and to him, it had always seemed like, whenever there were supernatural forces included in the mix , there were always savages involved.

From what he had seen of him, Albert Stark was a coward, an innocent, naive sheep farmer who knew nothing about killing or guns. There was no way he would've been able to kill Clinch Leatherwood on his own. No, not in a million years. It wouldn't taken more than a bullet and a nerdy, scrawny farm boy to kill Clinch Leatherwood. He was sure of that. He had to have had some kind of help.

He had came to the conclusion that the savages had helped him.

He didn't know how he had done it, but somehow Albert Stark had gotten the savages to help. How he had even gathered up the courage to leave his precious, little town of Old Stump, a place he had never left in his whole, entire, pathetic existence, Lewis would never know, but he was determined to get the venom Stark had used to kill Clinch Leatherwood and shoot a couple of bullet loads of it into Stark.

In the dark, a twisted, benevolent grin stretched across his bearded, bony chin, and he stared down at the savages.

The Chief had stopped talking. The savages themselves were chattering amongst themselves in their own little language, which he had never understood and had never had the desire to understand, clapping their gnarled, withered hands. Once it was down to the Chief, he struggled to pull himself back up on his horse with great difficulty (he had been riding hard for days before he had found the savages hideout, and every aching bone in his body was creaking in protest), and rode down toward the encampment, despite his aching back.

The savages' fire had died down by the time he had rode into their camp. Even though the moon was full and hanging high in the clear, cloudless night sky, which was dark but full of stars, it was still pitch black under the cliff, and he couldn't see a thing. He had only been able to find the head savage because he had heard the old Indian's feet scraping against the rocks on the ground.

"How, Chief...Pow Pow..." he said, to make up a title for the Chief right on the fly, having no idea what his real name was. "... Bow...Wow... " After getting no reaction from the savage, he trailed off in defeat, throwing his right hand up in the gesture his people, the whites, had always thought the savages had used for greeting and were always imitating.

Startled, the Chief swerved around, blinking at him in surprise. "Who the hell are you, asshole?" he asked in his own language.

Lewis didn't understand him, of course, but he answered him the best way he could, making up his own language as he went. "I'm white man...white man...need poison..." he said, talking as slow as he could, making gestures with his hands. "...prefer...snake...venom..."

Much to his surprise, the savage barred his teeth at him and hissed, curling his fingers into claws. "Snake venom dangerous," he said, making him shiver." What does asshole need with snake venom?"

Once he had regained his composure, he glared at the Chief. "So...all this time...you understood everything I was saying?" he asked feeling, angry, betrayed, and stupid all at the same.

The savage nodded, seeming amused by the whole conversation. "Yes, asshole, " he said, giving Lewis an unnerving, all-knowing toothy grin.

Lewis frowned, furrowing his brow in irritation."Then how come you're just waiting until now to tell me?" he asked.

"Because asshole look too stupid to know snake with venom if he saw one," the savage said. "Asshole would be dead by now if Cochise hadn't told him."

_Ah, so this is the great Indian Chief Cochise_, Lewis thought, not too impressed. He had heard horror stories of the old Indian Chief and his Apaches scalping cowboys, prospectors, and any other poor, unfortunate passersby who just happen to wander upon their camp , but he just looked just like any other frail, old man to Lewis, who didn't think he seemed like that big of a threat. It appeared to him that most of the legends about the old man had been nothing but fairy tales, bedtime stories parents told their children to scare them to sleep. In his opinion, the Indian Chief that all of the cowboys in town had been telling campfire stories about for the past several years didn't look as tough and fearless as their stories had made him out to be.

"Now why does asshole need snake venom?" Cochise asked after a few, drawn-out moments of awkward silence.

He made up one right then and there, fearing the savage wouldn't give him the venom if he told him the real reason why he wanted it. Everyone knew savages were tree hugging hippies in disguise, and frowned upon killing or violence of any kind, even if it was toward the lowest, most pathetic animals like insects.

So much happened afterwards, Lewis couldn't remember which story he cooked up for old Cochise , but, whichever one it was, didn't work, for the old Indian Chief didn't give him the snake venom.

Much to his dismay, the savage shook his head instead, dashing all of Lewis's ambitions. "Asshole don't understand language," he said, not looking as if he cared "Asshole can't be trusted. "

Lewis unhosltered his gun, switching the safety off if it with a flick of his finger "First of all, I have a name," he said, holding the gun to the savage's head. "It's Lewis, and you're going to show me where to find this snake venom, or I will blow your fucking brains out, do you understand?"

The savage stood, unwavering, his courage just as strong as ever. "Go fuck yourself, asshole."

Lewis refrained himself from pulling the trigger. "The only thing keeping you alive right now is the snake venom," he said, pressing the barrel of the gun harder against the savage's temple. "I don't want to kill you, because so far you're the only one around who knows where I can get it, but if you try my patience much longer, I can't say my finger won't slip on the trigger."

"NO! DON'T! STOP! PUT DOWN GUN! LEAVE FATHER ALONE! I'LL SHOW YOU SNAKE VENOM!"

Lewis looked up at the sound of the husky, rounded voice, which could've belonged to either a male or a female and he sighed when he saw that it belonged to the latter. The savage that was running up to them was indeed a , and she had lengthy, ebony hair that trailed all the way down to her sweet, swaying, little wriggling ass ,which, Lewis thought, was kind of sexy, if you had a thing for squaws. He had no doubt in his mind that this was the chief's daughter. She held herself with a proud, confident bearing that could've only been royal, and the beads she wore around her neck and arms were fancier then what he had seen the other female savages wearing. "Why I should I trust you, Princess?"

The Princess gave him a smoldering look that would've melted the hardest of men. "Because if you kill father, I kill you," she said, drawing a knife she had been hiding underneath her dress.

Lewis chuckled. "My, my, we got us a sassy little bitch here," he said, pulling the gun away from the Chief's head. "Better watch that mouth of yours, little girly." He holstered his gun, but he still clung to the chief's arm, refusing to let him go until the Princess showed him where the snake venom was. "It's going to get you into a lot of trouble one of these days."

The Princess snarled, flaring her nostrils. "Let father go, and I might let you live."

Lewis shook his head. "Not until you show me where I can find some snake venom."

The Princess looked skeptical, as well she should. Lewis would've been skeptical of himself if he had been in her situation. He didn't know how he always somehow managed to talk himself into these same types of predicaments over and over again. "Why asshole like you need snake venom?"

Lewis let out a despairing cry of frustration, throwing his hands up in the air. "Does it matter?" He sighed "Look, if you don't show me where the venom is, your father gets it, do you understand?"

The Princess didn't look too proud of herself, but she nodded. "Yes," she said, sliding the knife back under her dress. "I understand."

"Good," Lewis said ."Now show me where the damn snake venom is."

Looking disgusted by the way things were going, the Princess motioned for him to follow her with a wave of her hand, going further into the darkness of the ravine. "This way," she said, without looking back at him.

That was fine with him. Lewis didn't want to look at her face anyway, no matter how sexy he thought she was. She would just annoy him. Still, without a word, he followed her, dragging the Chief along with him.

The Princess had lead them to the farthest, deepest reaches of the ravine, where she stopped at last, gesturing for them all to sit down. "Be very still," she said, her voice a low, whisper. "Make any sudden noise, snake will strike."

Nodding, Lewis sat down on a rock beside the Princess, taking the Chief down with him. Lewis had to hand it to the old man. He hadn't complained not one bit since their journey here. Not many old farts his age would've been able to make such a claim.

"Ssshhh..." the Princess said, looking over at Lewis. She held a finger over her mouth. "Hear snake coming now." She slid her knife out from underneath her dress again, crouching into an attack position.

Lewis went still. Indeed, he could hear hissing from somewhere nearby, and a rattling from a snake's tail. He shuddered. He had never liked snakes. He didn't know anybody who did. Any sane person would be wise enough to stay away from the treacherous things. Or, at least, Lewis hoped they would.

The snake slithered around their feet. The Princess stared down at it, unafraid. Without a word or a sound, she lunged at the serpent, plunging her dagger into its twisting, convulsing body. In what Lewis was sure was the first of it's death throes, the reptile struggled to free itself from the knife, but without much success. Lewis backed away from it, repulsed.

"Now," the Princess said, tightening her grip on the hilt of the knife, which she plunged deeper into the snake. "Give me something to pour in snake venom."

Lewis dug around in his pants pocket, hoping to find something but not knowing what. At the time he couldn't think of any items that he would have in his possession that he could use. After few seconds of fruitless searching he was about to give up hope when his fingers brushed the cold, metal surface of his flask. Sighing with relief, he pulled it out of his pocket, took the cap off, and drunk what little was left in it, handing it to the Princess. Still pinning the snake down to the ground with the knife, she pulled it's mouth open with her fingers, hovering the flask over it's mouth. Awed and horrified at the same time, Lewis watched, fascinated by the bravery of the Princess. He didn't know a girl in Old Stump who would've dared do something so dangerous, except, Anna, perhaps. How Albert had ever scored a woman like that Lewis would never know, but he was about to take him away from her.

"There, take snake venom," the Princess, said, shoving the flask at Lewis. Stumbling, Lewis caught the flask in his fumbling hands, almost falling over backward. "Now give me father."

Holding it to his lips, Lewis sniffed the top of the flask, making a face. It sure smelled rotten enough to be poison. Satisfied, he twisted the cap back on it, and shoved the Chief at his daughter. She caught him without the slightest stagger. Lewis might've despised them, but, he had to admit, these savages were tough sons of a bitches.

The Princess stared at him over her Father's shoulder, her eyes widening in uncertainty perhaps, but not fear."Will you let us go now?"

Lewis shrugged. "Sure, what the hell," he said, another wide, malicious grin coming across his face again. "I've got what I came here for."

For the first time, Lewis saw a flicker of fear and uncertainty ripple across the savages' faces.

They might've been wondering what kind of devil they had been dealing with, Lewis thought.

He would've told them the worst kind.


	2. ONE: Lewis Arrives In Old Stump

**Authors note: **I just thought that I should warn you that this chapter contains an intense, highly detailed sex scene between Anna and Albert, just in case you're not not into that sort of thing. It is one of the reasons why this story is rated M.

ONE:

Lewis Arrives In Old Stump

With the sweltering Arizona sun beaming sizzling rays of light across his back, Albert Stark stood up from the ground with a pained grunt, wincing as every aching bone in his body creaked in protest. Standing in the midst of a field of sheep, he took his hat off of his head and raked his hand through his damp, dark hair, blinking the sweat out of his eyes as it poured down his face. Having worked all day, he was exhausted. Still, he managed a small, tired smile.

These days it felt good to be beaten down by the harsh, unforgiving life of a modest sheep farmer.

There was a time, however, when Albert hadn't always felt that way about life in the wild west, and he remembered it all too well.

Before he, a nerdy farm boy, had shot and killed Clinch Leatherwood, the most vile excuse for a human being and gunslinger in the wild west, with a poisonous bullet filled with snake venom, the townspeople of Old Stump had thought he had been nothing but a bad, no-good-for-nothing, lazy sheep farmer. To make matters worse, his childhood girlfriend and old flame, Louise, had felt the same way, which was one of the reasons why she had dumped him for Foy Ellison, his most least favorite person in town, adding further injury to his pride. Nobody had appreciated how hard he had to work in order to make sure they had sweaters to keep them warm before the heavy winter settled in. To be fair, he hadn't either, until Anna had showed him how to look at things in a whole different, yet, refreshing way.

Anna.

Was there ever a more beautiful woman on this Gods green earth?

Albert didn't think so.

Even if there was, he didn't want to meet her.

Okay, so maybe Old Stump was the least greenest place you could find (you could just as well as call it a desert and nobody would argue with you, it was so fucking dry), and he didn't really believe in God, but that was how the saying went. Everybody knew that. Or, at least, he thought everybody knew that. Either way, he was quite satisfied with the woman he was married to now, thank you very much, and he didn't want to be tempted by another one, not even Louise. He remembered a time when he would've wanted her begging and kissing at his hands and feet, but that was before he had met Anna.

She had changed him, and for the good. Because of her, life was better now. Things were different. He was a different person. These days he didn't take anything for granted. He didn't complain like he used to. He even got the respect he hadn't gotten before but had so badly desired. Now he had a purpose in life. He had a reason to be a sheep farmer. He had a wife to provide for now. Pretty soon, if everything went well, he would also have a family to care for.

That was right.

He, Albert Stark, was about to become a father.

It almost didn't feel right.

It wasn't that he didn't think he would be a good father. He had just never thought he would be ready to handle the responsibility that came with having and raising a child. He guessed he had never really thought about it before. As far as he, knew, Anna hadn't, either. On the night they had conceived what was sure to be their little devil spawn from hell, they had just went up to the swearing place and fucked, without thinking about the consequences, like most young people did. He had always thought it would be nice to be a father, judging by the big, stupid, goofy grins he saw on most soon-to-be fathers faces whenever their wives were about to give birth for the first time, but most of those dorky, happy faces were gone the day after their little antichrist was born, replaced by dark, sagging frowns after they had spent an endless, sleepless night of putting up with the little banshee's crying and screaming and changing its shitty diapers. The thought that Albert might be one of those poor, unsuspecting saps one day made him feel sick to his stomach.

Feeling queasy, Albert bent over his knees, retching noises coming out of his parched throat. Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of exhaustion, he collapsed, the force of the ground slamming into his back knocking the wind out of him. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving.

Anna's dog, Plugger, who had been helping him herd sheep all day, started barking, running circles around him as he let out little fearful whimpers of concern. Anna had gotten the dog off an old prospector Clinch Leatherwood had shot the in cold blood, even though the old coot had been about to give the gunslinger the gold even though the gold digger had claimed to have known nothing about it, or so Anna had told him. After Albert had seen what old Clinch Leatherwood had been capable of, he believed her.

"ALBERT!" The desperate sound of Plugger's frantic barking must've reached the cabin, because Anne came waddling out of it as fast (which, with her hanging, distended belly swinging out past her knees, wasn't very fast at all) as she could seconds later, her fair, lengthy hair whipping about her flawless, yet flushed face, which was laced with happiness as well as concern.

She bent over Albert, the immense size of her swollen abdomen making the movement awkward for her. "You all right?" she asked, holding her hand out to him, and Albert clutched it, pulling himself up with a groan.

Once he had steadied himself on his feet, Albert clutched her stomach, running his hands over it. Looking back up into her face, he sighed. She was worried about him. She was the one with the big, fat pregnant belly and she was more worried about him than she was herself or the child, making Albert more of a nervous wreck than what he already was worrying about her.

She peered into his face, her eyes so full of love and devotion that he had to swallow back past a lump in his throat. He didn't deserve her. Hell, no man did. The thought that Clinch Leatherwood had been married to her since she was nine years old still made his stomach churn, even though the bastard had been dead for five years now.

Albert pressed his lips against hers in a lengthy, heartfelt kiss. "Don't you worry about me, " he said, once they had pulled apart from each other with great reluctance. "I'll be fine." He didn't know if he was lying or not. If he had been, it must've not shown on his face, because Anna wouldn't have been shy about letting him know . "I'm more worried about you at the moment." He planted a quick, yet no less passionate kiss on her forehead, pulling her close.

"Oh, Albert," Anna sighed, burying her head in his shirt. "I appreciate your concern, I really do, but you don't have to worry about me." Her voice was muffled by his sweaty shirt. She looked up at him, a smile on her face. "I'm a gown woman. I can take care of myself." She pushed away from him, giving him a playful punch in the stomach. "I don't know about you, though. " She frowned up at him, planting her fits on her hips. "How long has it been since you've took a shower?"Her smile twisted into a playful sneer of revolution. "You stink."

Grunting, Albert doubled over in agony, clutching his stomach. To be honest, she hadn't punched him all that hard, and she hadn't really hurt him, but sometimes Anna didn't know her own strength. She hurt him every now and then when they had sex, and she would spend the rest of the night apologizing to him, revealing a caring, almost maternal side she never showed to the public, but she was still the most bad ass woman in the west. In most ways, she was stronger than Albert. After all, she had been the one who had taught him how to shoot when he had, like the fool he was, challenged Foy to a duel after he had stolen Louise from him and made him look like a pussy in front of the whole town, and he hadn't even known how to shoot, let alone hold a gun. Anna had taught him how to do both, and just in time to challenge Foy, but, Albert hadn't had the balls to kill him, because, just the night before, Anna had put something in his drink that had made Foy pull down his pants and shit all over town. He had been staggering around so bad, he hadn't even been able to stand up to fight. That had been revenge enough for Albert. He had holstered his gun and walked away, feeling more satisfied with himself than he would've been if he had killed him. Albert just wasn't that type of guy. Anna had said so herself. She had told him he had been one of the few guys she had met who didn't get an erection just by killing somebody. Albert didn't know if that had made him feel better about himself or if it had only made him feel like an even bigger pussy, and to this day he still didn't know how he felt about it, but he did know one thing.

If it hadn't been for Anna, he would've already been dead a million times over now. He had forgotten how strong she was, which was a mistake he never should've made. She had caught him off guard.

Once he got his breath back, he looked up at Anna, feigning a hurt luck. He would live, but he wasn't going to let her buy with it that easily. He was going to milk it for all it was worth.

"Ouch! That fucking hurt!" Swaying, Albert struggled to his feet, trying to keep his balance. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

With a cute, little tilt of her head, Anne gave him a sly wink. "Oh, nothing, just trying to make sure you keep good hygiene is all," she said, a slow, mischievous smile playing across her face.

Albert shrugged. "What else did you expect?" he said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I've been rolling around in sheep shit all day." He looked down at her, planting his fists on his hips.

Anna gave him a sad smile. "Oh, Albert," she said, sounding disappointed." I know you work hard, and I appreciate all that you do form me, but it wouldn't hurt if you stopped working long enough to take a shower every once in awhile."

Already tired and worn down by the hard day 's work, Albert felt his patience growing thin. "Anna, we're in the middle of the fucking desert," he said, sweeping his hands out across the vast, barren wasteland stretching out before them. "There is no water around for miles. The nearest oasis is out across the desert, on the other side of the badlands, where no one has been since the town was discovered!" His voice started to rise in his expiration. "And I'm not going out there, no sir re! Uh uh!" He shook his head with violent passion. " You want catch me out there! Not in a million years! Who knows what evil lurks out there!"

Anna sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, Albert, you haven't changed a bit," she said, sounding very tired herself all of a sudden, making Albert fell worse than what he already did. "I was hoping you had. I had hoped the coward I had first met when I came here had changed. I had hoped I had a married a braver man. It appears that I haven't."

Albert fell silent, standing still. "Oh my god," he said, giving Anna a disbelieving look. "I can't believe it." He couldn't help but feel a little hurt. He worked his ass off day and night, just for Anna, and here she was bitching about him not taking a shower. "You're actually serious about this. We're actually having an argument over me not taking a shower."

"You're damn right!" Anna shouted at him, punching him in the stomach. This time, she knocked him all the way to the ground, where she had found him. "I sleep with you every night, Albert." She bent over him, jerking him up by his shirt collar. "I fuck you every night. " Her voice a low, dangerous hiss now, she pressed her face against his. "The least you can do is make sure you're nice, squeaky clean for me." She gave his collar one last violent tug. "Got that?"

Having fell in a pile of sheep shit, Albert looked up at her, all of his dignity lost. Anna glared back down at him, her fists on her hips

"If I knew I wouldn't spontaneously combust into flames, I would let you take a picture of me, " he said, not even having the strength he needed to defend himself. "It would last longer."

After a few, yet long, awkward moments of silence, Anna's face split into a wide, mischievous grin.

"Oh, Albert, quit being such a pussy," she said, without a pause or a blink. "I'm just fucking with you!"

Albert blinked in surprise, taken aback not by her words (she and Albert cussed all the time, and without much thought or concern), but by how stunned he was that she had said them at all.

She had thrown him under the wagon again! Damn it! He was going to have to start putting his guard up.

Anna leaned over him, sliding her arm through his. "Oh, I'm sorry, Albert," she said, pulling him up. "I'll quit giving you such a hard time." She gave him a quick, apologetic kiss on the cheek. "You do look pretty tired." She laid her head on his shoulder, looking up at him with complete adoration he didn't think he deserved. "Let's go home."

Swaying, Albert leaned against her for support, limping the of rest the way back to the cabin.

* * *

Anna looked down at her husband's feet and frowned, noticing he was limping again. She knew he had gotten the limp from Charlie Blanche , a man he been in debt to before he had met Anna but had since paid back , in a dual after he had shot him in the ankle. It had only been a flesh wound, he had said, and at the time, he hadn't thought there would be any lifelong complications from it, but Anna could tell that it still bothered him every now and then, especially on scorching, sizzling, hot days like this one, when he had been working harder then he should've been. Anna shook her head. Why did men think it was necessary to work themselves into an early grave? "Albert, you're limping again," she said, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "You going to be okay?"

Albert blinked at her, his expression blank. "Yeah, I'll be fine," he said, avoiding looking at her. "I didn't really know I was limping until you mentioned it." Anna knew he was lying. He didn't want her to see how much he was really hurting, but he couldn't hide nothing from her. She had been around him too long.

"You can't fool me, mister," she said, giving him a gentle pinch in the arm. "I know when you've been too hard."

Albert glanced over his shoulder at her. "Oh, really?" he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at her. "How can you tell?"

Anna winked at him. "Oh, I just have my own little ways," she said.

Albert moaned. "That's good to know," he said, grunting with pain as he staggered up the steps. Anna had to half carry him for the rest of the way to the door.

"You've been working too hard, Albert," Anna said, opening the door for him. "You really need to quit overdoing it." She led him inside, guiding him to the couch. On their way to the sofa, they passed Albert's father George, who was sitting, as usual, in his favorite rocking chair by the front door, his drooping, bearded chin resting on his thinning chest. He looked so sad and alone sitting next to the empty chair beside him, which used to have always been occupied by his wife, Elsie, before she had passed away, that Anna almost felt sorry for him, but she couldn't forgive the man for the way he had neglected to care for his son. Elsie had been just as bad. Anna hadn't gotten the chance to meet her, but, from what Albert had told her about the woman, she hadn't been much different from his father, choosing to waste her life away sitting in the same old rocking chair, leaving her son to defend for himself. Albert had been forced to defend and take care of himself. He hadn't had an easy childhood. Now that she thought about, it was no wonder he had grown up to be such a precautious adult.

They got to the couch, where she stretched him out on his back. She sat down on the end of the sofa, taking his shoes off for him. Albert watched her, his chin sagging down on his chest, looking so much like his father at that moment that Anna felt chills running up and down her spine. Shivering, she took his socks off, watching the faint rise and fall of his chest, and listened to the disconcerting sound to his labored breathing. She was afraid it wouldn't be long, before Albert, like his father, would be tired and worn down by all the farm work, consumed by exhaustion.

"There's no one else to do it," he said, his voice a hoarse croak. Anna had to lean over him a little further in order to hear him, stroking the foot Charlie's bullet had grazed. "Dad's not able. He could croak any minute now. " Anna's heart broke a little at the sound of his voice cracking. "I'm surprised he's lasted this last long." He swallowed, and she thought he was trying not to cry.

"Ask Edward to help you," she said, lifting Albert up a little in order to slide his vest off."I'm sure he wouldn't mind." She took his shirt off next, running her hand up and down his stomach.

Albert shook his head. "No, I don't want to bother Edward with it," he said, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "He and are Ruth have their hands full with their own little bundle of terror now."

Edward Phelps, Albert's longtime friend from childhood, had married Ruth in the summer of 1882, the same year Albert had met Anna and Clinch Leatherwood, gained his courage not only from Anna but a drug induced vision that the Indians had given him, shot and killed Clinch Leatherwood, and married Anna. Later on in that same, eventful year, Ruth and Edward had gotten married, and, before Albert and Anna knew it, Ruth was pregnant with Edward's child a year later. Not long afterwards, she had given birth to a beautiful, healthy boy they had named Eddie, after Edward, of course. The boy was two years old now, and growing up like a weed. Anna had seen him the other day. He had already said his first word. Much to everybody's mixed feelings of surprise, horror, and joy, it had been 'fuck'¸ which shouldn't have been too much of a surprise to anyone, since that was all his parents had ever done, but it was still pretty shocking to hear the most vile word in the American language come out of the mouth of such a young boy. Still, everybody thought that the accident had been pretty hilarious. Anna had never told Albert, fearing how he would react, but after seeing how happy Eddie had made Edward and Ruth, Anna had wanted a baby of her own ever since. Without letting too much on, Anna had given Albert little hints here and there. They had sex every night for the next two years, but it wasn't until earlier the following year that Doctor Harper had told her she was pregnant, lifting a huge weight off of Anna's shoulders. For the longest time, she had been afraid there had been something wrong with either her or Albert, and had even asked Doctor Harper about it one day, but he had examined her told her not to worry about it, that he had found nothing wrong with her and that as long as she still had her vagina and Albert his penis, they would still be able to pop out a kid, and that these these things took time. Anna had told him she still had her vagina and Albert his penis ( she knew because she saw them just about every night), but she hadn't told neither Ruth or Edward one about their troubles, not wanting to worry them with it. In the end, everything had turned out okay, of course, and she was glad she hadn't told Ruth and Edward. It would've only caused more worry for both couples, and that was one thing they hadn't needed.

Anna nodded, smiling. "I know," she said, falling across Albert's stomach, her massive belly swallowing his smaller frame. She slid her hand down his pants, unbuckling them. As soon as she had gotten his pants down his legs, she shoved her hands down his underwear, working them loose. Then, she wrapped her fingers around Albert's penis, squeezing it, smiling with satisfaction when Albert let out a little girly squeal of both pain and ecstasy. She batted her eyelashes up at him, stroking the felt tip of his penis.

Albert shuddered, his body spasming.

Despite all of the extra weight she had put on during her pregnancy, he was still attracted to her, if the goofy, yet flattering way he was ogling her breasts was anything to go by. He seemed distracted by the comforting feel of her breasts cushioning his stomach. Unable to look away from them, he flipped her shirt over her head, sliding his hands around her waist, and unbuttoning her pants. As soon as the pants had came off, he jammed his hands down her panties, twirling his fingers through the blond tuff of hair surrounding her vagina. After they had combed every inch of her sheath, his hands trailed up to her bra next, his awkward fingers stumbling over each other as he tried to unfasten it. Trembling, his hands then explored the valley between her breasts, his fingers nipping the tips of her nipples. He kissed them, his breath coming out in short, rapid, gasps.

Anna trembled with pleasure, her belly constricting. "More," she said, panting. "More..." Moaning, she clinched her sheath over Albert's penis. Convulsing, his body bucked beneath her. He gasped for breath, gripping the side of the couch in order to brace himself for the relentless, ongoing, sexual ecstasy that was overwhelming them both.

More than happy to oblige her, Albert slid his shaft further into her vagina, caressing her belly with his hands. "You don't have to tell me twice," he whispered in her ear, his already deep, soothing, baritone voice low and husky.

Anna shivered, feeling goose bumps running up and down her skin. That sexy voice of his always turned her on. It never failed. She loved the way It draped over her like warm, dark velvet silk, making her feel warm and safe.

The sex seemed to have rejuvenated Albert. "Wait, it feels creepy doing it here," he said, struggling to sit up. "It feels like he's staring at us." He tilted his head over toward George, who was still fast asleep in his chair, emitting loud snores.

Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, Anna looked over her shoulder at Albert's father, raising her eyebrows in disbelief at the sight of him."You're right, it does feel weird, " she said, standing up from the couch with a slight shudder. "Were do you want to go?" She started putting her clothes back on with great reluctance.

Like a nervous, little schoolboy taking his crush on a date for the first time, Albert's hand shot up to clutch hers in a death grip , his sweaty palm sticking to hers. "Let's go upstairs," he said, leading her out of the living room. "It'll be a better place, I think."

Anna nodded. "Sounds good to me," she said, kissing his hand. She helped him stand up from the couch, putting his clothes back on him. She could tell by the way he was moving that he was still pretty stiff and sore, and helped him up the stairs.

Together, the two of them walked up the steps, hand in hand like an old couple who had been married for years but acted like a high school couple madly in love with each for the first time, unaware, in their bliss, of the strange, mysterious man standing outside in the shadows of the cabin, staring after them with a malicious glint gleaming in his slanted eyes.


	3. TWO: Tragedy Strikes

**Author's note**:If you've been reading this story, you might've noticed a couple of changes with the new updates. This was orginally going to be the first part of chapter 3, which I thought ended up being a little too long, so I made it chapter 2, and I turned Chapter 1 into the Prologue, because I thought it would work better as one. I also added a couple of new author notes to the prologue, and chapters 1 and 3 to give readers a little better insight into the story. I hope you don't mind the changes.

TWO:

Tragedy Strikes

Lying in bed next to next to his wife, Albert tilted his head over his shoulder to glance over at her, unable to believe his luck. How did such an insensitive coward like him manage to marry such a beautiful, strong, yet caring woman like her?

Anna yawned. With her head resting in the crook of his arm, she gazed back up at him, blinking her sleepy eyes. "That was wonderful, Albert," she said, rubbing her hand over his abdomen, which was still heaving from the exertion his body had underwent during the sex. "We'll have to do that again sometime." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "We've got to do it more often."

"We will," Albert said, somehow managing to give her a small, tired smile. "As soon as I get some more of the farm work done." The exhaustion he had felt earlier was about to overwhelm him again, and it scared him. "I promise." He was only forty-five but he was already starting to feel like he was fifty. If he felt this bad now, what was he going to feel like when he was sixty?

He must've turned pale at the thought because Anna gave him a gentle prod on the shoulder, a concerned look on her beautiful face. "What's the matter, Albert?" she asked, trailing her hand down his cheek. "You okay?" She stroked the side of his face. "You look bad..."

Albert turned his head away from Anna, averting his eyes from her, unable to meet her piercing gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, knowing he was lying. "I just feel like I've...got to...pee real bad...all of a sudden... "

Anna chuckled a little bit, shaking her head. "Oh, Albert, only you," she said, squeezing his shoulder. If she had caught him in the lie she wasn't letting him in on it . She was really good at keeping certain feelings from him, though. She was an expert at it, but Anna was funny about what she would tell him and what she wouldn't. He had found that most women in general were funny about stuff like that, feelings in particular. It was just one of the many things he would never understand about them.

He struggled to sit up from the bed, his every movement slow and painful.

Alarmed, Anna shot up from her pillow, grabbing his arm. "Albert, honey, do you need help?" she asked, shaking him.

Albert shook his head. "No, I'll be all right," he said, trying to give her a reassuring smile. Hell, he was needing some reassuring himself. He wasn't feeling too certain about his own capabilities at the moment.

Anna didn't look convinced. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm positive," he said, pushing himself up into a sitting position on the end of the bed. He sat there on the edge for a moment, grabbing his head as a sudden wave of dizziness came over him. Swaying, he stood up, gripping the edge of the bed for support. When he had balanced himself at last, he slid his pants back on, but he never got a chance to slip his shirt back on.

Lost in a haze of fear, sickness and pain, his world an unfamiliar, confusing, hellish place for what would be the most traumatizing, challenging time of his life (which was saying a lot, considering how much Albert had been through already), Albert couldn't remember much of what happened next. Everything had went by so fast...

First, there was a deafening, booming sound, resembling a rumble of thunder, followed by an ear-shattering clash like a whip-like crack of a lightening strike.

Then, next thing Albert knew, he and Anna were screaming in unison, both of them having heard the window shatter before Albert felt the bullet slam into his chest, the force of it sending him flying to the floor. He hit the side of the bed before he slid against it, his head striking the board underneath it. He started seeing stars just before his vision began to go blurry and then, black.

* * *

Still screaming, Anna crawled over the bed, letting herself fall to the floor beside Albert. Kneeling before him, she cradled Albert's head in her hands, peering into his clammy face. "Albert, stay with me," she pleaded, stroking his pasty cheeks. "Don't you die on me." She pried his heavy-lidded eyes open, her fingers trembling. "You hear me, Mister?"

Almost in answer, Albert's head lolled over his shoulder, his eyes rolling up in the back of his head. Anna, thinking, for one brief, horrifying that he was dead, shrieked, shaking his head with violent force but without meaning to. She was so fearful of the pain and fear of the prospect of loosing Albert, that she didn't see his eyes flutter open, his unfocused, pain-filled gaze trying to find her.

"Anna..."

Anna blinked, tears still spilling down her face. Albert's faint voice had been a hoarse, raspy croak, but she had heard it. She looked down at him, the fact that he was still alive taking a moment to sink in. "Albert...?" she whispered, afraid to let herself believe he was alive, thinking that, if she did, allowing herself one moment of happiness, he would be taken from her again, never to be returned to her. "You're alive...?"

Albert swallowed. "I don't know..." he somehow managed to choke out, his broken, mangled words slurred. "Chest hurts...Anna..." He clutched his heaving chest, his hand groping at the gaping, bloody bullet hole yawning open in the middle of his stomach. "...hurts...to...breathe..."

Anna could tell he was having trouble breathing. Looking down into his ashen face, she could see it was starting to turn blue. Fearing he wouldn't be alive much longer if she didn't take drastic action fast, she stood up, tearing a piece of cloth from her shirt, which hung over the side of the bed behind Albert. He had almost sent it falling to the floor with him. Kneeling back down beside him, she bent over him, pressing the cloth over his wound. His blood seeping over her fingers, even through the cloth, she tied it around his stomach. She pressed her hands over his. "Hang on, Albert," she urged him, trying to encourage herself as much as she was him. "I'm going to go get help, okay?" She kept her eyes on him, refusing to look away. " Just hang on, please. I can't stand the thought of loosing you."

Albert looked up at her, and much to her horror, Anna realized that he was crying. "Don't go...Anna...please..." he begged, his voice cracking. "I'm scared..."

Anna's heart was breaking into a million pieces.

"I'm coming back, Albert," she said. "Don't worry. I'm going to come back with help, okay?" She thought she better not mention that she was going to go get the town doctor. Albert probably would've went into shock or cardiac arrest. He wasn't a big fan of him. Anna wasn't either (she and Albert both thought that his treatments were primitive), but he was the only person who could help Albert.

"Hurry..." Albert gasped. Anna had never seen him look so helpless. "Please..."

Anna kissed his forehead. "Don't worry" she said, running her hands through his hair. "I promise I'll be back .I won't live you here to die. " She kissed his forehead. " I love you."

Anna stood up, throwing her clothes back on before she headed downstairs. She ran into Albert's father on her way through the kitchen. Wonder of all wonders, he was standing, out of his chair. It was a miracle. Anna couldn't believe it. This had to have been the first time he had stood up out of the chair since he had went to his wife's funeral.

"Was that a gunshot?" George asked, his expression impassive. If he was worried about either one of them, he showed no signs of it.

Anna nodded, giving him a stern glare. "Yes, it was," she said, gripping his shoulders. "It was your, son, George. " She steered him toward the steps leading up to the their bedroom, where Albert lay in a puddle of his own blood, what little life he had left him spilling out onto the floor. "He was shot. He needs you." She turned to head out the front door, looking over her shoulder at George. "For once in your life help him!"

Anna ran, not looking back once. She was afraid if she did, she never would've left Albert, and he would've been lost to her forever.


	4. THREE: Doctor Harper

THREE:

Doctor Harper

"DOCTOR HARPER! DOCTOR HARPER! DOCTOR HARPER! IF YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE, ANSWER ME! IT'S ME, ANNA! I'M HERE BECAUSE MY HUSBAND, ALBERT, HAS BEEN SHOT! HE'S IN A LOT OF PAIN AND HE'S SCARED! DOCTOR HARPER, PLEASE, LISTEN! IF YOU THERE AND YOU CAN HEAR ME, PLEASE ANSWERE THE DOOR!"

When she reached Doctor Harper's place, she knocked on the door frantically, screaming his name over and over again at the top of her lungs.

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT! I HEAR YOU WOMAN! JUST GIVE ME TIME TO GET TO THE DAMN DOOR!"

Sighing with relief, Anna fell silent, glad to hear the sound of Doctor Harpers gruff, annoyed voice, even though he didn't sound as happy to hear hers. When he opened the door with one of his withered, yet meaty hands, Anna flung herself at him, throwing her arms around his rotund belly. She had almost knocked him over.

Staggering, Doctor Harper pushed her away from him, looking uncomfortable. "Ah, that's enough, woman!" he grumbled, dusting his hands on his nightgown. "What do ya want?"

Anna swallowed, not trusting herself to speak. She didn't know if she could recount the night's tragic events all over again while they were still so fresh on her mind without crying, and she didn't want to cry. She refused to. She had a reputation to keep. Albert wouldn't have wanted her to cry anyway, not over him."Didn't you hear all of that?" she asked, appalled.

Doctor Harper shook his head. "Nope, 'fraid not," he said, sticking one of his fingers in his ear. "Got bad hearing. "

It was all Anna could do to refrain herself from screaming and throwing her arms up in frustration. "I can't believe you didn't hear all that..." she said, trailing off with a deep sigh. "I guess I'll have to say all of it all over again, then, won't I?"

Doctor Harper Harper nodded. "'fraid so," he said.

Anna's mouth felt very dry all of a sudden. "Well, in that case..." she began, working her mouth to get the dryness out of her throat. "It's my husband, Doctor Harper. You know, Albert?"

"Yes, I know the little weasel," he said. "What trouble has he gotten himself into now?"

Anna ignored the playful jab at her husband, knowing it was only made it jest. "He's been shot, " she said, thinking it would be best to leave it at that.

Doctor Harper , Anna thought, realized the seriousness of the situation for the first time, because he looked grim. "By who?" he asked.

"We don't know," Anna said, wishing she did. If she had, and Albert hadn't needed her, she would've hunted and shot the bastard down herself.

"That's unfortunate," Doctor Harper said, sounding as if he meant it. "Where is he?"

"He's at our place...back at the cabin...I left him there..." Anna said, still feeling guilty for having left Albert, but what else could she have done? If she hadn't went back and gotten Doctor Harper, he would've already been dead. Hell, for all she knew, he probably already was. "I hated to leave him but I didn't know what else to do...he was in pretty bad shape when I left...he was in a lot of pain...and...he was so scared..." She couldn't make herself go on.

Doctor Harper gripped her shoulder, giving a gentle, yet reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, " he said, giving her a small, sad smile. "You did the right thing." He wasted no more time than he had to and got straight down to business. "Where's the cabin at?"

Anna gave him the directions to the cabin, feeling herself loosing her voice as she spoke. "You know where it's at?" she asked when she was finished.

Doctor Harper rubbed his beard. "Yeah, I know where it's at," he said, grabbing his blue jay off it's perch as he headed out the door. "You can ride with me in the wagon. I can take you back there in it."

Anna clasped her hands together. "Thank you, so much, Doctor Harper," she said, following Doctor Harper out the door. "I don't know how I could ever repay you - "

Doctor Harper gave her a straight, dead-on look. "Money," he said, locking the door behind him.

Blinking in surprise, Anna gaped at Doctor Harper's retreating back, clutching her stomach. She shook her head. _Well_, she thought, struggling to follow him. Her belly was feeling extra heavy that night, for some reason, and she had a feeling it wasn't just because of the tragic events that had just unfolded , _at least he had been honest_. You couldn't fault a man for being honest. She had always found honesty to be an attractive trait in a man, since it was so hard to come by these days, in both men and women, which was one of the reasons why she had always appreciated Albert. Coward he might've been when she had first met him, he had always been truthful with, not only her, but also other people, sometimes when it wasn't so good to be honest with them, and it had gotten him into trouble on more than occasion.

_God, please don't let him die, _praying to the God she didn't even know she believed in, especially at that moment. Nether her or Albert one were very religious people. Albert himself was very open about being an atheist, and was probably the only one in town, and Anna knew he had been ostracized for his beliefs by many of the people in town numerous times , even though everybody knew he had been best friends with Edward for years, and everyone knew he was a devoted Christian and went to church everyday. Sometimes Albert even went with him, just to have some male companionship. _I don't know what I would do without him. _

With a sickening feeling in her stomach, she discovered, for the first time, that she hadn't realized how true those words had been until now.

* * *

When she and Doctor Harper got back to the cabin, Anna was relieved to see that Albert was still in the same condition he had been in when she had left him. He hadn't gotten any better, but he hadn't gotten worse, ether, which was a good thing, Anna thought. It was better than him being dead.

George was sitting next to him, holding his hand, when they walked in. He looked up them, his eyes wet and shiny from unshed tears. Anna, for the first time since she had know him, felt sorry for him. He was trying so hard to be the tough guy when he couldn't be feeling really tough at all.

Grunting, Doctor Harper knelt beside Albert, laying his hand over his wound. Anna could hear his ancient bones creak and pop in protest as he did. "How is he?" he asked, looking over at George.

Anna could see George gulp, his Adams apple bobbing up and down. "No better, no worse," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't think he even knows I'm here." He couldn't stop the tears from coming this time. "I tried talking to him but he wouldn't speak to me...I don't even think he can..."

Doctor Harper turned away from George, looking uncomfortable, all of sudden, in the situation, which had became very awkward for everybody in the room. " I'll be honest with you," he said, "it's very possible. I'm not going to lie, as much as I want to." He began to unwrap the cloth Anna had tied around Albert's waist, looking back up at her when he "Was that your handiwork?"

Anna nodded. "Yes," she said.

Doctor Harper seemed pleased, but he didn't smile, or say anything. Anna didn't blame him. She wouldn't have smiled, either, and she was glad he hadn't. She thought she might've felt offended if he had. There was a good chance her husband could be dying, after all. This wasn't a good time for either of them to smile, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit pleased with herself. She had somehow managed to do something right when everything else seemed to be going wrong.

"You didn't try to move the body?" Doctor Harper asked.

Anna shook her head. "No, sir," she said. "I was afraid to touch him."

"As well you should've been," Doctor Harper said. "Unless you're a doctor, nurse, or somebody else who knows what they're doing, you shouldn't move a person that's been shot, not under any circumstances." He sighed. "I'm afraid, in this case, that I'm going to have to make an acceptation. I'm going to have to lay Albert on his back, so It will be easier to get the bullet out, got it?'

Anna nodded. She got it, all right, but that didn't mean that she had to like it. What if they moved Albert, and they jarred the bullet, causing it to fall into one of his lungs and making him stop breathing for good?

"Did you see where the bullet came from?" Doctor Harper asked her.

"Yeah, " Anna said, nodding. "The shot came from outside." She turned, pointing at the window. "The bullet, as you can see, came through our window and shattered it."

"Ah, yes, that appears to be the case," Doctor Harper said, lifting his bloodied hand up from Albert's chest. He held it up to Anna. "You see this?"

Anna nodded. "Yes," she said

Doctor Harper bent his head over his hand and sniffed it. "It's a funky purple color ," he said, beginning to unwrap the piece of shirt she had tied around Albert's chest. "He's been poisoned."

Anna shook her head. "Oh, God, please, no," she whispered, "How?"

"I know it's lot to ask, but please, give me a minute, and I'll show you," Doctor Harper said, looking back at George. "Could you help me lay him down?"

George nodded, taking a deep swallow.

"Good," Doctor Harper said, bracing his hand against Albert's back. " Just put you hand behind his back, like I've got mine. Be gentle with him, though. We don't want to jar the bullet."

George did what Doctor Harper told him to.

"There you go," Doctor Harper said. "Now , on the count of three, we're going to lay him down, all right?"

George nodded again.

"That's the ticket," Doctor Harper said, taking a deep breath. "On the count of three, then...one...two...three..."

When Doctor Harper said, three, he and George laid Albert on his back. Anna watched, wanting to close her eyes, but she was still afraid to take them off of Albert, in case something went wrong. She winced when Albert landed on the floor, but if it had hurt him, he had showed no signs of being in any pain.

Doctor Harper, taking his blue jay off his shoulder, placed it on Albert's chest. "See if you can't get that bullet out of the boy," he said.

The bird squawked like a parrot. "Yes, oh, wise and mighty fat ass, " it said.

Doctor Harper snorted. "Okay, wise guy, get on with it," he said, motioning for the bird to fly over to Albert with a wave of his hand.

Anna would've laughed if she hadn't been so worried about Albert. He would've appreciated the humor of the blue jay's remark, and that it could talk. As long as they had known Doctor Harper, she and Albert hadn't known that the bird could talk in the first place. If Albert lived through this, she was going to have to remind herself to ask Doctor Harper how he had trained a blue jay to talk like a parrot. She watched, with bated breath, as the bird hopped around on Albert's chest. It was, no doubt, she thought, digging it's little claws into his chest, causing him more pain then what he needed, but she bit her lip to keep from saying anything else. Doctor Harper trusted the bird knew what it was doing, and Anna, even though she had never done so before, trusted Doctor Harper to know what he was doing. She couldn't afford not to. Her eyes wide with fright, she watched, horrified, as the bird hovered it's head over the bullet wound in Albert's chest, dived it's beak down inside the hole, and, with one, powerful yank, pulled the bullet free with it's beak, sending it clattering to the floor.

Picking up the bullet, Doctor Harper sniffed it, making a revolted face. "Somebody's poisoned the goddamn bullet," he said, tossing it aside. "With snake venom, smells like. I've had enough experience with the stuff to know. "

"Snake venom..."Anna trailed off, biting her lip. For the next few seconds, she closed her eyes in deep thought, and then, gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "Now I know!" She held up a finger in exclamation. "Albert used it to kill Clinch...but...he's..." She didn't want to say the dreaded word, afraid that death would be the same outcome for Albert. "...how's Albert still alive?"

Doctor Harper shrugged, shaking his head. "That's what I would like to know," he said. "By all rights he should be...but...he's not...which is a good thing, I suppose..."

Anna glared at him.

Doctor Harper cleared his throat. "Yes, a very good thing," he said, turning around to open his first aid kit, which he had kept at his side. "The only thing I can of is, they didn't use enough venom. "

It seemed like a possible solution to Anna. "Doctor Harper, could you, please, tell me...is there an antidote?" she asked.

Taking some bandages out of the first aid kit, Doctor Harper looked up at her. "Yes," he said, nodding. "Some say there's some kind of plant, out in the middle of the desert, but I'm afraid you're going to have to find some savages that will tell you where it is. There the only one's who will know where it's at. "

"Albert said some Indians gave him the venom he used to kill Clinch," Anna said, a newfound hope returning to her. " He said they were Apaches. You think they could help?'

Doctor Harper snorted. "If anybody could help you, it would be the Apaches," he said. "They're tough sons of a bitches, from what I heard, and more stubborn than a mule." Lying the bloodied rag to the side, he picked up the bandages, wrapping them around his hands. "I've trust you've heard of their supreme, ruthless leader, Cochise?"

Anna nodded. "I have," she said. "We had to learn him about him in school. I used to think he was a total asshole until Albert told me how he had helped him. "

Doctor Harper grinned for the first time that night, but Anna let it slide. He had done everything he could to help her and Albert. She would forever be in debt to him. "He thinks we're assholes, too," he said.

Anna couldn't help but smile herself. "I know," she said. "We learned all about it history class."

Doctor Harper let out a dry snort.. "I think we all had to learn about in history class," he said, holding the wash rag out to Anna. "Could you wet this for me?"

Anna balked for a moment, not wanting to leave Albert alone with these two for even a split second. "Yes," she said, taking the towel from Doctor Harper's hand. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

Doctor Harper nodded. "I know you will, " he said, looking back down at Albert. "I just need to clean his wound before I wrap these bandages around him. I don't want it to get infected..."

Anna sighed. With one last look at her husband, she turned and fled the room, running down the steps to the kitchen. Once she was there, she ran to the sink and turned it on, laying the rag under the water. As soon as it was good and wet, she turned the water off, and somehow managed to run back up the steps without falling. When she got back into the room, she handed the rag back to Doctor Harper.

"Good," he said, inspecting the rag. Nodding in approval, he looked back down at Albert, running the dampened rag around his wound. Within seconds and it didn't look as bad as it had.

Holding the bandage down with one hand, he slid his other one behind Albert's back again, "George, could you help me lift the boy up one last time, so I can get this bandage around him?"

George nodded. "Certainly, doctor," he said, doing as he was told.

"Okay, good, " Doctor Harper said, once George was finished."Now, again, on the count of three, got it?"

George nodded once more. "Yes, sir," he said.

"Good," Doctor Harper said."Now...on the count of three...one...two...three..."

Together, they lifted Albert up for what Anna hoped was the last time. She watched them, holding her breath as Doctor Harper wrapped the bandages around him with careful precision. When he was done, he asked George to help him ease him back down on the floor, and her father, once again, did what Doctor Harper told him to, and without question.

Once Albert was situated, Doctor Harper stared down at him, going over his handiwork one last time. "I'm going to have to have help getting him on the bed," he said, stretching his back with a loud pop.

Anna rushed to Albert's side. "I'll help this time," she said, bending down beside Albert.

"Whatever you want to do," Doctor Harper said. "On the count of three..."

The tree of them, with Anna on one side of Albert and Doctor Harper and George on the other, lifted Albert over onto the bed, stretching him out on the mattress. They made sure he was comfortable. Anna fluffed up his pillow for him and cushioned it under his head, while Doctor Harper and George pulled the covers over his legs, not letting it go up past the fresh bandages Doctor Harper had just wrapped around his stomach. When it was done, Anna knelt down by the side the of the bed, taking Albert's hand into her own. She looked up at Doctor Harper.

"Thank you, Doctor Harper," she said. "For all your help. I don't know when I'll get to pay you, and I know it'll never be enough to repay you for what you've done for me tonight, but I'll make sure I'll get the money to you, somehow."

Doctor Harper shook his head. "Take you time, Mrs. Stark," he said, dismissing her offer with a wave of his hand. "You can pay me back whenever you can. I know you're in a tight situation right now, and I understand. Wait until you can get Albert some help, and then you can think about how much you're going to pay me. I'll come back and check on Albert in the morning." He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. "Come on, you infuriating bird, let's go."

Anna saw a streak of blue flash by the bed as Doctor Harper's blue jay flew back to his owner. "Give me time, you slave driver, I'm coming!"it squawked, landing on his shoulder. It stared back at Anna with it's beady little eyes, making her shiver. It might've helped Albert, but there was still something about that bird she didn't like. She couldn't put her finger on it.

George walked over to Doctor Harper before he started he down the steps. "Thank you, for everything, Doctor Harper, " he said, draping one of his gnarled, withered hand's over one of Doctor Harper's broad shoulders. "I don't know how we'll ever repay you for what you've done tonight..."

Doctor Harper "I told you, you don't have to pay me back, yet," he said, " but if you insist, you can help an old man back down the stairs."

George looked at Anna over his shoulder. "Would you be okay with that, Anna?" he asked.

Anna nodded, waving at him to go on. "Sure, go ahead," she said, peering down into Albert's pain filled face. "I want to stay here with Albert." She ran his fingers trough his hair, shaking her head. "I don't know how I'm going to tell Edward and Ruth..."

Doctor Harper overheard her. "I'll spread the word around, if you don't feel up to telling them," he said, looking "I wouldn't suggest you be out running too much anyway, not after everything that's happened, , and the condition you're in. I know you don't won't to leave Albert alone for long, especially in the shape he's in. Besides, I only need to tell one of my patients in the morning, and it'll spread like wildfire. Trust me, it doesn't take long for word to around in this town."

"Oh, yeah, don't I know it," Anna said, trying to smile at Doctor Harper, but she failed. She was just too tired. "But you can go ahead and tell whoever you want. I don't mind." She was fighting back a yawn right at that very moment. "And thanks again, Doctor Harper, for everything."

"You're welcome, ma'am," Doctor Harper said, tipping her hat to her in one final farewell. "It was my pleasure, and I'll make sure to tell the first person that walks in my office in the morning." He turned around again to leave.

Anna listened to the two men's heavy footsteps thump down the stairs, wondering how Edward and Ruth were going to take the news when they found out...

**Author's Note**: Doctor Harper's bird doesn't talk either in the book or the movie. That was an invention of mine. Since Seth MacFarlane seems like to have talking animals in his shows, I thought I would put one in my story, just as a little tribute to Seth. Who knows, I might just make Plugger talk as well, just for the heck of it.


	5. FOUR: Edward And Ruth Learn The News

.

FOUR:

Ruth And Edward Learn The News

Doctor Harper thought it was a funny (funny in a ha-ha way for him, maybe in a not so ha-ha way for Albert, perhaps) case of irony when Foy turned out to be the first patient to walk into his office the following morning.

He hadn't exactly been the first person Doctor Harper thought he would break the news to. Everyone in town (including him), knew Albert and Foy had feuded in the past. It was no secret. Breaking the news to him first would, no doubt, cause complications between the two men later on, if Albert ended up surviving the ordeal, that was.

Foy cleared his throat when he opened the door and walked into the office, straight, tall, and dignified in the usual black tux and hat he always wore. Doctor Harper, who had been sitting behind his front desk when Foy had walked into the room, looked up, raising his bushy eyebrows. ""Hello, Mr. Ellison," he said, pretending he had been doing paper work when he hadn't been. "How may I help you?"

Foy stiffened, his wiry, lofty frame ramrod straight."May we talk in another room?" he asked, his eyes wondering over to his blue jay, which was watching the two men with keen interest from it's perch in the cage Doctor Harper kept next to him behind his desk. "Preferably in a more _private r_oom." Doctor Harper noticed the firm emphasis he had put on the word private.

Doctor Harper nodded. "Certainly," he said, standing up. "This way." He motioned Foy to follow him with a gesture of his hand, "How are things between you and the missus?"

Foy snorted. "Nothing's between us at all," his said, when they had walked into a back room and Doctor Harper had shut the door behind them, his dry-as-ever tone sarcastic. "That's why I'm here."

Doctor Harper tried to keep his face straight. "Oh?" he asked, folding his hands behind his back. "What seems to be the problem? " He fiddled with his fingers

to keep them from betraying his glee.

Foy sniffed, wrinkling his mustache, which bristled. "You promise you want laugh?" he asked.

Doctor Hopper shook his head, still trying to act like a professional.

Foy let out a deep, long, mournful sigh. "I can't...I can't seem..." Foy struggled to find the right word, his face turning redder by the minute, until, at last, he gave up and let it all out in a rush. "I can't seem to get an erection."

Unable to contain himself any longer, Doctor Harper snorted with laughter.

Foy's face was blushing crimson with anger as well as embarrassment now. Doctor Harper thought he could almost see smoke coming out of his ears, the young man looked so furious. "You said you wouldn't laugh," he said, hissing between his teeth.

"I'm sorry," Doctor Harper said, somehow managing to regain his composure. "Please, forgive me." He clutched his rolling stomach, still doubled over from the laughter. "I'm afraid I've been put under a lot of stress lately, and I've not been myself." Which was true, he thought, in away, what with everything that had been going on with Albert and the rest of the Stark family and all. It hadn't been a complete lie, and it would b a perfect segue into what he had to tell Foy to begin with "I've been a little distracted."

"With what?" Foy asked, having regained his dignity.

Doctor Harper tried to play innocent . "Oh, haven't you heard?" he asked, acting as if what he was about to tell Foy was old news that everyone in town knew by now, and had known for sometime, knowing it would piss Foy off.

Doctor Harper's strategy paid off.

Foy shook his head. "No," he said, indeed looking annoyed that no one had told him. "About what?"

Doctor Harper looked down, putting on a grave face. "Albert Stark got shot last night," he muttered, his voice low.

Foy blinked in surprised, clearly shocked by the news. "By who?" he asked, bewildered.

Doctor Harper looked back at up Foy, shrugging. "No one knows, not even Anna, and she was with him when it happened, " he said, shaking his head."She's devastated." He sighed. "It's all a shame, really, that it happened, especially at a time like this. "

Foy nodded. "Yeah, I say she's having a hard time with it, what with the baby coming along and everything," he said, looking genuinely rattled by the news, much to Doctor Harper's surprise. He hadn't thought Foy had given a damn about Albert after all the humiliation Albert and Anna had put him through in the past."Is he going to make it?"

Doctor Harper felt useless. He was supposed to be a doctor, the smartest person in town, the one guy who people assumed knew everything and trusted their lives with, but he knew nothing, and it made him feel like a dumbass. "No one knows that, either," he said. "At least, not at the moment, anyway. Whoever shot him used a poisoned bullet, but for some reason or another they didn't use enough of it, and he's still alive, but he's a very sick man. I'm supposed to go see him this morning, to see how he's doing. I'll probably go after you leave. I hope he's still alive, for Anna and the baby's sake, but by all means he should be a dead man, and he's not. No one knows why. "

"Do Edward and Ruth know?" Foy asked, surprising Doctor Harper with the question.

Still put off by Foy's questioning, Doctor Harper stumbled for an answer. "Uh, no, not that I know of," he said. "That was one thing I was going to ask you."

Foy seemed intrigued, ever eager, as always, to be in the know. "What?" he asked.

"Anna was wanting me to tell somebody about Albert, so they could get the word about what had happened to Albert around and it could get to Ruth and Edward, because I told her I didn't want her up and running around too much , not with all of the stress she was under and the condition she was in," Doctor Harper said, once he had recovered from the shock of Foy's question. "I know that everything that's been happening can't be good for either her or the baby, anyway, so I told her I would tell the first person who came into my office." He chuckled. "It's just Albert's luck that it was you."

Foy grinned a little. "It is a rather bad case of irony, isn't it?" he said. "For Albert, anyway."

Doctor Harper smiled back. "To tell you the truth, I was thinking the same thing this morning when you walked in," he said, holding out his hand for Foy to shake on the deal he was about to propose to him. "I'll make an offer for you. Since it is you, could you be the first to tell Ruth and Edward directly? I know you've had had differences with them in the past, but I would rather they hear it from you than from some town gossip they don't even know." He gave him a sly wink."If you are the first one to tell them, I promise I will help you get an erection, with professionalism."

Foy held his hand out, hovering it over Doctor Harper's. "And you promise you'll help me with my...penis problems?" he asked, still cautious. "Without laughing at me?" He pulled his hand back a little.

Doctor Harper squeezed Foy's hand. "That's what I just said, isn't it?" he asked, his patience growing thin.

Foy squeezed Doctor Harper's hand in return. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said."We've got a deal."

* * *

Foy found Edward and Ruth at the Old Stump Saloon, which had been the first place he had looked, knowing that was where the couple spent the majority of the time, even after they had gotten married and had their son. He had found them sitting at the table together with the boy, Eddie, all of them looking so happy he almost backed out on breaking the news to them, not wanting to spoil their happiness, even though it would have given him a small amount of pleasure, even for a brief period of time.

Edward and Ruth, having been turned around in their seats talking to each other when he had walked in, had noticed him, and waved at him to come over.

Edward, being the nerd he was, stood up first, hopping up and down like a jumping jelly bean. "Hey, Foy!" he called, still waving. "Why don't you come on over and sit with us?" Having exhausted himself, he sat back down, out of breath. "We're just talking , you know? Chilin'. " Panting, he threw his arm over the back of the chair, resting his chin in the crook of his elbow as he watched Foy approach them.

Foy sat down in the chair beside him. "Why, thank, you, Mr. and Mrs. Phelps," he said, inclining his head toward Ruth in recognition. "I hope I'm not disrupting any of your daily activities."

Eddie, who had been sitting on his mother's lap in complete silence, spoke up all of a sudden. "Dick," he said, pointing an accusing finger at Foy when the older man had sat down.

Blinking, Foy gaped at the boy, his mouth hanging open. "I beg your pardon?" he asked, more startled, than angry, surprised by the ease with which Eddie had said such vulgar language. The boy hadn't even blinked an eye.

Edward and Ruth gasped in unison. "Eddie!"

Ruth swerved the boy around on her lap, tilting his face up in her hands "Where did you ever here such language?" she asked, giving him a scolding glare. "I know you didn't hear it from your mommy or daddy."

Sensing he had gotten himself into some sort of trouble, Eddie started to cry. "Uncle Albert," he said, burying his face in her blouse.

Albert wasn't really Eddie's Uncle, of course, being of no relation to Edward, but the boy had taken to calling him Uncle after much encouragement from Albert and Edward.

Ruth sighed, running her fingers through her son's fair, light hair, which he had inherited from his father. Looking up from Eddie, she shot her husband a questioning glare. Edward just shrugged. _I'll explain later_? he mouthed, making it more of a question than an actual promise.

Ruth buried her face in Eddie's hair, to hide her embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Ellison," she said, shaking her head. "It won't happen again." She looked back up at Foy, her face still flushed. "I'm sure Eddie didn't mean it. He's at that age when he just blurts out every word he hears, without really thinking and knowing what it could mean, and I'm afraid when I leave him alone with Albert and Edward, he hears a lot more than what he should. I know Edward and I cuss when we make out, but we make sure we never cuss in front of him, though I'm sure there have been a couple of times when we've let a word or two slip in every now and then. I guess we haven't had the talk with Albert about what language he is allowed to use in front of Eddie, yet."

"That's all right, Ma'am," Foy said, thinking Edward looked a little guilty. " I understand." He found he was enjoying the Ellisons' discomfort with immense delight. "I was young once, too, as we all were, though at times its easy to forget."

Ruth chuckled."Oh, yes, don't we know it," she said, fanning herself with one her hands, which, Foy noticed, was trembling. For the first time he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, and how tired she looked, wondering how much strain taking care of Eddie must've been putting on Ruth and Edward's marriage.

Edward must've noticed his wife's exhaustion as well. "Here, I'll take him for awhile," he said, holding out his hands. "You look like you could use a break from him."

Ruth sighed with relief. "You're right, " she said, handing Eddie over to Edward, who took him into his arms with just as much care as Ruth would, cradling him against his chest. "I could use a break, but don't think you're getting out of trouble, mister." She bobbed her finger at him. "I know you've got something behind this."

Edward let out a nervous little cough.

Taking all of the attention off of Edward, who was starting to look like he would rather be somewhere else, Ruth forced a smile at Foy. They might had put their differences aside over the years, and had tried to act civil to one other in public, but there had been no love lost between the Starks, Phelps, and Ellisons, not after everything that had happened. "We were just finishing up our meal, Mr. Ellison," she said, wiping her mouth with the napkin she had been using before she tossed it on the table, looking not in the least bit pleased by Foy's sudden appearance. "You weren't bothering us."

Foy knew she was lying, but he kept his thoughts to himself, trying to smile back at her instead. "Thank, you, ma'am," he said, feeling the tension rise in the room. He knew if he didn't break the news fast, there was bound to be another brawl between Foy and the Phelps right there in the saloon, and not for the first time. "I would hate to thank I was disturbing your schedule for the day."

Ruth shook her head, her face strained. "Oh no, not at all," she said, her hands falling to her lap. "So, where is Mrs. Ellison today?" Foy glanced under the table, noticing she was wringing her hands together, probably to keep from strangling him, he thought. He quickly looked back up at her before she noticed him looking, fearing she would accuse him of looking under her dress. Like he would be interested in anything under there in the first place. Even if he had been married, and she hadn't, he wouldn't have been looking up at Ruth Phelps 'skirts, anyway. She had been with too many men for his taste. Edward could have her. "Is she all right?"

Trying to act as if he hadn't noticed anything, Foy covered his mouth with his fist, clearing his throat. "Yes, she's fine," he said. "She's just feeling a little under the weather."

It had been the truth, but not all of it. Louise wasn't sick with a cold or anything, like he had made it sound. She was just on her period, which she would recover from in a couple of days, but, having already been giving him the cold ever since they had been dealing with his 'penis problems, 'she had been even been more insufferable then usual of late. He just didn't think it was the time or the place to discuss such matters. He didn't think the Phelps would want to hear about it, anyway. He knew he wouldn't have.

Ruth was very good at pretending to be concerned over the news. "Oh, I hope she gets better soon," she said, her stoic, impassive face displaying no sympathy whatsoever. "Please tell her I said so."

Foy wasn't buying her act, but he wasn't about to let her know that, not wanting to cause a row. "Yes, Ma'am, " he said. "I will do by best to tell her ."

Edward changed the subject, sensing, perhaps, that things might've been heading south, "So, Foy, have you seen Albert around town today, any?" he asked, causing Foy's face to turn white. He could tell be the look on Edward's face that he had sensed something was wrong. "Something's happened to Albert, hasn't it?" Edward sounded hesitant when he asked the question, as if he was afraid to know the answer. Foy didn't blame him.

Foy nodded. "I'm afraid so, " he said, lowering his voice. "That's why I came here looking for you." He hung his head over the table, motioning for Ruth and Edward to do the same, so they could hear him better. Both of them did so, but Ruth with more difficulty than Edward, since she was sitting across the table Foy, next to her husband, who was sitting the closest to Foy. She had to stretch her whole body across the table in order to hear Foy, who was speaking just above a whisper. "Albert was shot last night."

Giving each other horrified glances, Edward and Ruth gasped, both of them going pale. Edward almost dropped Eddie in shock. The boy looked around at all of them, not having the slightest inkling about what was being discussed.

The questions came flying out all at once.

"Who?" Edward asked, at the same time Ruth asked "Why?"

Millie, who had been serving customers during their whole conversation, walked by them, balancing a plate on her hand. "Hello, everybody," she said, smiling down at all of them, raising her eyebrows when she noticed Foy sitting with the Phelps. "Everything going all right here?" Foy thought the plump, heavy-bosomed barmaid looked as tired as Ruth, which didn't surprise him, considering the unusual, large amount of patrons she had for so early in the saloon that morning.

Ruth looked up at her. "Oh, no, I'm afraid not, Millie," she said, shaking her head."Foy was just telling us that Albert was shot last night." Tears were spilling down her lengthy, horse-like face.

Millie dropped her plate in shock, shattering it. "Oh, no, the poor dear!" she exclaimed, causing everyone in the room to staring at them now, wondering what the commotion was about, and hoping, without a doubt, to get a juicy piece of gossip. "Is he going to be all right?"

Foy shook his head. "No one knows, yet," he said, getting tired of repeating the news over and over again. "Doctor Harper said that whoever shot him used a poisoned bullet, but for some reason or another they didn't use enough, and now's he's very sick. " He pushed his chair out from under the table, standing up, feeling a sudden, intense desire to leave. "I'm very sorry for the abrupt departure, but I really must go." He began to walk away from the table, trying to act as casual as he could. "Louise will start getting suspicious if I stay gone from the house a moment longer."

Millie wasn't about to let him go that easy, however. " Now, you wait just one damn minute, you sneaky little bastard! " she shouted after Foy, grabbing him by the shirt collar. "Who do you think you are, coming in here with news like that, and just taking off, without any explanation?" Clinging on to Millie's fits for dear life, Foy looked down at his dangling feet, flailing his legs, his eyes widening in horror when he realized she had lifted him off the floor. "You got some more explaining to do!" Even though he knew she could see his face turning blue from lack of air, her grip tightened on his throat."How do you all of this, anyway ?"

Foy was beginning to choke. "I had to go to Doctor Harper's this morning," he said,

gasping for breath, hoping she wouldn't ask for anymore specific details on that little trip.

"He told me!"

Millie, still suspicious of him, narrowed her brow at him. "Who shot him?" she asked.

Foy wheezed. "No one knows!" he said, his voice a harsh croak. "Not even Anna, and she was with him when it happened! The bullet came through their bedroom window!"

Without warning, Millie dropped him, and Foy came into complete contact with the floor, hitting it with full impact."That will do, I guess," she said, looking away from him in disgust. "Now go, get out of sight!" He signaled with in disgust.

Humiliated, Foy scrambled to his feet. flying out of the twin, swinging saloon doors.

He wouldn't be coming back into the Old Stump Saloon again any time soon, and that was going to be the last time he would help either Doctor Harper, the Phelps, or the Starks.

_Fucking Phelps!, _he thought, fleeing back to the house like a scolded puppy with it's tale hung between it's legs. _Fucking Starks! _His mood was black, his thoughts vengeful. _Hell, fuck all of them!_

**Author's note**: I'm sorry there was no Albert and Anna in this chapter, but fear not, Albert and Anna fans. They should be in the next one. I just I had to introduce Foy, Louise, Ruth, Edward, and Millie to the story in order to get readers caught up on what they had been doing for the past five years. I hope you're still enjoying the story.


	6. FIVE: Visiting Albert

FIVE:

Visiting Albert

They watched Foy flee from the saloon, none of them feeling sorry to see him go.

Ruth sighed. "I'm glad he told us about Albert, but I'm glad he's gone, too," she said, not regretting admitting it. "He would've only caused more trouble if he had stayed here a moment longer, and we all know it."

Edward nodded, looking over at her, but he had a worried look on his face. "Yeah, but where do you think he went?" he asked. "You don't think he'll go after Albert, do you?" His eyes widen in fear at the thought, his face going pale again.

Ruth shook her head. "No," she said, mostly to reassure herself just as much as Edward. She wouldn't put anything past Foy. "He's too much of coward." She put her hands on her hips, staring off past the saloon, toward the direction Foy had fled. "I think he'll run back to Louise first, to tell her everything." Pursing her lips in deep thought, she looked over at Millie ."What do you think, Millie?"

Millie stood there in silence for a moment, thinking about it, then nodded. "I think you're right," she said, at last. "He'll want he's deer sweet honey bun to know everything first, that way if he goes after Albert, he can take her along with him, that way he could have someone to protect him just in case things went south, like the coward he is."

"Yeah, I think you're right, but I would still like to go see Albert," Ruth said, glancing over at her husband. "Wouldn't you?"

Edward nodded. "Did you even have to ask?" He bent down in front of Eddie, placing his hands on both of the boy's shoulders. "How about you?" You want to go see Uncle Albert?"

Eddie didn't have to be asked twice, nodding his head with serious vigor. "Yes," he said. "Want to see Uncle Albert."

Edward gave him a sad smile. "I thought you would," he said, giving his son a light pat on the shoulder, and a gentle pinch on his cheek "You can't bother him too much, though, okay? Uncle Albert's really sick. "

Eddie looked worried, "Uncle Albert sick?" he asked.

Edward nodded. "Yes, very sick, I'm afraid," he said. "You got to be on your best behavior. okay?"

Eddie nodded back, only getting a vague idea of how serious things were. "Yes, Daddy," he said.

Edward sighed with relief, looking as if a little bit of weight, at least, had been lifted off of his shoulders. "Good," he said, holding his arms out to Eddie. "Want to come with Daddy?"

Eddie nodded, jumping into his father's arms, without question. "That's my boy," Edward said, looking up from the boy to glance at his wife. "You ready?"

Ruth nodded. "Yes, " she said, looking over at Millie. "Would you like to come with us?"

Millie shook her head with deep regret. "I'm very sorry, I really am, and I wish I could go, but I can't," she said, scanning her weary gaze over all of her patrons "I just got too much to do here right now." Her shoulders slumped, she looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but there. "If I get everything done here in time, I'll try to come later tonight, okay?"

Ruth nodded. "Sure, " she said, embracing Millie in a warm, forgiving hug. "I understand things are busy here right now." Wanting to stay and linger in Millie's enveloping, comforting embrace, but knowing they had to get to Albert as soon as they could, she pulled away from Millie great reluctance, looking back over at all of her customers. "Take all the time you need. "

"Thank you for understanding." Millie said. "I really appreciate it." She gripped Ruth's shoulder. " Hurry now, go to Albert." She gave her a little push toward the door. "He needs you now more than I do."

Ruth to a stop. "You're right," she said, looking over her shoulder back at Millie."Take it easy, you hear me?" Edward followed her out the door, carrying Eddie in his arms.

Millie nodded, watching them go, a heavy feeling of dread in her heart.

* * *

Anna was in the middle of giving Albert a bath when the Phelps walked into their bedroom. Doctor Harper was there with them, along with, much to the Phelps' surprise, Albert's father, George, who, like just about everybody else in town, they had never seen out of his chair. Edward was awkward, which was nothing new, but he felt as if they had just had walked in on a very private, personal family moment.

Anna, who had been standing by Albert's bedside, leaning over his bed to wash his chest with a wet rag, looked over at them when they walked in, her eyes widening in both surprise and delight.

"Oh, Edward! Ruth!" she cried, and ran over to them, pulling them both into a hug. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Ruth kissed her on the cheek. "Anna, my dear, you know we would've came," she said. "We would do anything for you and Albert."

Anna pulled away from them. "Who told you?" she asked.

Looking down, Ruth sighed, her face grim. "It was Foy, out of all the people it could've been," she said, shaking her head. "I told Edward and Millie that I was glad he told us, but it was a good thing he left when he did. He would've only caused more trouble if he had stayed a moment longer, and we all knew it, but I think it's safe to say that none of us was sorry to see him go.

"Millie knows too?" Anna asked.

Ruth nodded, a sad, slight small inching across her face. "Yeah, she was there when he told us, but she threw him out afterwards," she said, taking great joy in Foy's humiliation and suffering. "You should've been there, Anna. You would've enjoyed it." She let out a low chuckle "It was a sight to see. I don't think Foy will be coming back to the Old Stump Saloon anytime time soon, not after the way she had humiliated him." The smile she had somehow managed to conjure across her face just moments ago left, and her face fell, turning grim again.

"I'm glad you did," Anna said. "I've missed you and Edward..." Tears started spilling down her face. "Ever since it happened...I've been wishing you were here...I've wanted no one else...now that you're here..."

Ruth threw her arms around Anna, embracing her in another hug. "Of course we're here, honey," she said, laying her head on Anna shoulder. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Anna sniffed. "I don't know," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I just want to thank you, " she said, stepping back from Ruth . "That's all I know." She rubbed her arm across her nose, not caring who was watching. "I'm just glad you're here. You don't know how much that means to me." All of a sudden, she stomped her feet, flipping back a strand of hair off of her shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry." She shook her head in disgust. "I can't believe how selfish I'm being." She snorted in disbelief. "I know you came to see Albert and I haven't even made the slightest effort to invite you to come I hope you can forgive me. Would you like to come over and see him?"

"Oh, Anna, you know we would," Ruth said, shaking her head."You don't have to ask." She grabbed her husband's hand. "Come on, honey let's go."

Distracted, Edward nodded , staring over at the bed."How is he?" he asked.

"About the same," Anna said, going back over to the bed. "He's been talking a little bit more since Doctor Harper got the bullet out of him, but he's been having trouble swallowing." She picked up the rag, which she had thrown on the bed when she had seen Edward and Ruth walking through the door, and began to wash his face with it. "I have to feed him, but he's been coughing it back up, though."

Edward slid his arm through Ruth's, and together, the two of them walked over to Albert's bedside, Edward dragging Eddie along with his other hand. When they got there, all three of them looked down at Albert, at their stricken friend. Edward knew the incident had only happened just over night, but he could already tell that Albert had a lost a small, yet still alarming amount of weight. If he lost anymore at this rate, he would only be a thin stick of a man, and Albert had been a small man to begin with, He would hate to think what he would look like after he had lost a couple more pounds.

Edward looked down, feeling Eddie tugging at his hand.

"Want up!" he demanded, holding his arms up to his father. "Want to see Uncle Albert!"

Edward gave him a sad smile. "I bet you do," he said, picking his son up with a pained grunt. Eddie might've been only three but he was already getting heavy, almost too heavy. Edward, being the old man that he was, had trouble holding him up anymore. "I know it'll be hard for you, but try not to bother him too much, okay, kiddo? He's hurting."

Eddie nodded, with only a little reluctance. "I'll try," he said, stretching his arms out to Albert. Edward gave his wife a concerned look. "You think it'll be okay to put him on the bed with him?

Ruth shrugged. "It couldn't hurt, but I don't know," she said, nodding toward Anna. "You might want to ask Anna first. I think she's the one in charge."

"You think it'll be okay if I let Albert on the bed?" Edward asked Anna.

Anna nodded. "Sure," she said. "I don't think he could cause too much trouble." She smiled a little, looking over at Albert. "The experience would be good for Albert. He's going to be a father soon, after all. He's going to need some practice for when our own little one comes along. I'm afraid he's been getting out of shape ever since he's b Besides, I think Albert would enjoy it. He's been needing some company besides me, anyway. All I've been d is smothering him."

"If you think it would be okay," Edward said, easing Eddie down on the bed beside Albert. Alert, he watched, alarmed, as the boy crawled up to Albert's face, and started to pry at Albert's eyelids to get them open. Seeing that they weren't going to, he lowered his fingers, running them down Albert's nose. Edward twisted his face into a revolted look of disgust when he rolled them around inside Albert's nostrils, pulling out several, thick, green, strands of snot.

"Uncle Albert?" the boy asked, shaking the strings of snot off his finger, unfazed. "Uncle Albert, wake up!" When that didn't get a response, Eddie trailed his fingers down Albert's mouth, and, much to Edward's horror, pried it open, sticking his finger inside it, as if that would work. "Wake up, Uncle Albert!"

"Eddie, no!" Edward cried, gabbing Eddie by the waist. "I said you could come up here only if you didn't bother Albert, and you promised you wouldn't, but that's exactly what you're doing - "

He stopped. For the first time since the Phelps had been there, Edward thought he had seen Albert's eyes flutter open, but he wasn't for sure if he was seeing things or if he was seeing things. "Edward?" he whispered, his slurred voice a harsh croak."That you?"

Eddie screamed with delight, throwing his arms around Albert's neck. "Uncle Albert!" he cried, jumping up and down on Albert's stomach. "Uncle Albert! Uncle Albert's awake!"

Screaming, Albert clutched his stomach, doubling over in pain. "OUCH! OW! GODDAMMIT! THAT FUCKING HURT LIKE HELL!" Convulsing, his body went into spasms, sending him into a bloody, violent coughing fit, which only lasted for a few seconds, but to Albert and the rest of them, if felt like it had went on for hours. When it was over at last, he fell back, letting his head hit the pillow, what little energy he had somehow managed to muster up when he had realized that Edward and Ruth were there already pent.

Eddie started crying. Edward grabbed him, pulling him off of Albert. "I'm so sorry, Albert," he said, shaking his head. " If I knew Eddie was going to do that, I wouldn't have let him up there - "

Albert dismissed his apology with a weak wave of his limp hand. "No, that's okay," he wheezed, fighting for air. "It's not Eddie's fault." He paused, gasping for breath. "I've been having the spasms... the coughing fits...just ask Anna. She's...she's been having...to deal with them... as much as I have...and I'm sorry...for putting her through it...I really...am..."

"Oh, Al...I'm so sorry," Edward said. It was hard, he thought, watching his friend fight so hard for words and air. "I'm so very sorry that this happened to you."

"No," Albert rasped. "Don't be. It's not you're fault."

Edward noticed that, as he talked, Albert's hand kept going to his chest. where the bullet hole was. Edward could see it, from where he was standing beside the bed. Anna hadn't covered it back up with the bandages yet. "Does it hurt?" he couldn't help but ask.

Albert gave a slow shake of his head. "Not as bad," he said. "It just itches... most of the time... more than anything... I guess that's why... I keep on... wanting to rub it. " He let out a weak chuckle. "Anna jumps... on to me... for it...you know...but I can't... help it...it's just a...bad habit...I guess..." Albert's speech was getting worse and, harder to understand.

"Sssshhh..." Anna whispered, cradling Albert's head in her hands. "Don't talk too much, honey." She rocked his head back and forth in her hands, burying his face in his hair, which was caked with sweat. "It's only going to get you coughing again, and we don't want that."

Albert groped at her hand, clutching it.

Edward swallowed. "Isn't there anything they could do for him?" he asked.

Anna looked up at them, a shred light of hope flickering across her face. It was small, but Edward could see it. "Well, Doctor Harper said that's there's a flower, out in the middle of the desert," she said. "He said it was the only antidote that could cure Albert, but that the Indians would be the only ones who could tell you where it was at." She sighed, looking down at her expanded belly in disgust. "I would go, but, considering the condition I'm in, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to go. If somebody could go for me, I would appreciate it very much, and I would forever be in debt to them."

Edward's head snapped up. "I'll go," he said, given Anna a stern, determined look. "I'll do anything for Albert."

"You're not going alone!" Ruth hissed in Edward's ear, clutching his arm in a bone-crushing death grip. Edward let out a high-pitched squeal of pain, and Ruth let go of his arm. Edward looked down at it, rubbing the spot where his wife had squeezed it just seconds ago. _There will be a bruise there in the morning, for sure,_ he thought, shaking his head. Sometimes his wife just didn't know her own strength.

"I wasn't going to!" Edward hissed back at her. "I was going to ask somebody to go! Trust me, I wasn't about to go on my own! I promise!"

"Liar!" Ruth pinched Edward's arm, almost in the same spot where she had grabbed it before, causing Edward to let out another cry of pain . "You were thinking about going off on you're on, and you know it! You can't fool me, mister!"

"I guess not," Edward said, "but I can't go alone. I'm man enough to admit that, at least. I won't go out into the desert by myself, but I have no idea who I'm going to take with me. Know anybody?"

Agape, Ruth stared back at him, her expression blank. She shook her head."I hate to admit it, but no, I do not," she said, sighing and slumping her shoulders in defeat.

Doctor Harper spoke up for the first time since the Phelps had gotten there, silencing them all. "I think we should leave and discuss this matter in another room," he said, his gaze going over to Albert. "Let's let Albert get some peace and quiet. He needs it."

Ruth nodded in agreement. "You're right," she said. "I'm sorry." She hung her head, ashamed. "I just want talk to Albert, and give him a kiss goodbye, just in case we're not back before..." She wouldn't let herself finish. "Do you mind, Anna?" She thought it would be best to ask her first, not knowing how she would've reacted if she had done kissed Albert without doing so.

Anna shook her head. "No, of course not," Anna said, moving out of Ruth's way so she could kneel down in front of her. "Go ahead."

Ruth leaned over Albert, squeezing his hand. "Hello, Albert, honey, it's me, Ruth," she said, kissing his fingers. "Can you see me, baby?"

Albert's head drooped. "A little...can't see too good..." he said, trying to blink his distorted gaze into focus.

Anna gave her a worried look.

More concerned than ever now, Ruth peered into Albert's eyes, just to make sure he was still conscious."You still with us, honey?" She rubbed her hand up and down his cheek.

Albert nodded. "Barely...I think...not for...long..though..." Sweat was pouring down his face.

"I'll go and let you rest then, sweetie," Ruth said, giving his hand one last squeeze. "I hate to leave you, but Edward and I have got to go, anyway. Edward's going to go get that flower for you, okay? I don't know when we're going, but we got to get ready and leave as fast as we can. I know it's going to be hard, but just try to hang in there for us, sweetie. Try to be here when we get back, okay?"

Albert's grip on her hand tightened. "I'll try...just tell him...not to go...alone...I couldn't stand it...if something...happened to...Edward...especially...if it was...because of me...please..."

"I promise, honey," Ruth said. Letting go of Albert's hand, which was beginning to crush hers, she stood up, turning around to look at Anna. "I know I don't have to tell you twice, but please, just take good care of him. He needs you, honey." She gave her a hug. "Make sure you take care of yourself, too, you hear me? I want to see that baby when I get back."

Anna let out a soft laugh. "Oh, don't worry," she said, hugging Ruth back. "I'll make to take good care of myself, but I can't leave Albert, Ruth." She shook her head. "I just can't, and I won't."

"I know you won't," Ruth said, patting her on the shoulder, " and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." Turning to leave, she grabbed her husband's arm on the way out, making him flinch. "I hate to rush you Edward, because I know you want to spend more time with him. God knows I do, too, but if we're living we need to be going now. Who knows how much time he's got left? The way he's looking right now, it doesn't look like too much."

Edward gulped. "I know," he said, sighing. He heard his voice crack, and he could feel the tears wanting to come. "I just...it's just so hard to leave him, you know? Especially when he's like this. We've been friends for so long...it... it just tears me up inside, Ruth."

Ruth kissed him on the cheek. "I know, baby," she said. "I know it's hard. You just got to try and hang there in there, okay? With the west of us." She patted his cheek.

Edward sighed. "I know," he said, kissing Ruth back on the cheek, "and I'll try, but goddamn it it, Ruth, it's just so goddamned hard! Why does it have to be that way for, huh?"

Ruth shook here head. "I don't know, honey," she said. "I wish I had some answers for you, but I don't. I just don't know."

Edward hung his head. "I know," he said. Don't feel bad, I know. I don't have any answers, either. " He let out another hopeless sigh. Then, just like his wife had done, Edward went over to the other side of the bed, knelt down beside Anna, and leaned over Albert, squeezing his hand. "Hey, Al, buddy, it's me, you're good, old pal Edward," he said, giving his hand a slight shake. "Can you hear me, pal?"

"Only...a little..." Albert said, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Edward winced. "I'm sorry, bud," he said. "I hate to leave you like this, but you really left me no choice, pal. I'm going to find you some help, okay? I don't know when I'll be back, but I promise I'll come back as soon as I can, okay?"

Albert's head dropped lower. "Just...don't go...alone...please...Edward...don't..." he wheezed.

Edward hated to hear his friend beg. "I won't buddy," he said. "I don't know who I'm taking, yet, but I'm not going alone. I promise."

"Promise..." Albert whispered. His eyes were beginning to close.

"Hey, I always keep my promises, buddy," Edward said. "That's what a good Christian always does, or is supposed to do. At least, I would like to think that they do, but I know there are some who don't. " His face went dark. Giving Albert's hand one last squeeze, he let go of it, standing up. "Just take care of yourself, buddy." He turned around to face Anna. "You too, all right?" He gave her a hug. "I don't want to come back and find both of you lying in bed, almost dead. Got that?"

Anna hug him back." Got it," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Take care , Edward." She stepped away from him. "I'll miss you. You and Ruth both."

Edward waved his hat at her. "Same here," he said, picking Eddie up in his arms. Taking his wife's arm in his free one, both of them followed Doctor Harper back down the steps, leaving behind George, who had decided he wanted to stay, Albert, and a very troubled Anna.


	7. SIX: Making Preparations

SIX:

Making Preparations

Back downstairs, Edward and Ruth were sitting on the couch, while Doctor Harper stood in front of them. Ruth had invited him to sit down with them, but he had declined, claiming he had to leave soon anyway. He was expecting more patients that day, he had said, and didn't want to keep them waiting any longer than he had to.

Ruth sighed. "Well, I hate to see you go, but if you really have to..." she trailed off, standing up, holding her hand out for Doctor Harper to shake. "It was nice seeing you again."

Doctor Harper nodded, accepting her handshake. "You too, Miss Phelps," he said. "Are you and Mr. Phelps holding up all right?"

"We've had our ups and downs, just like any marriage has, but nothing compared to what Anna and Albert are going through right now," Ruth said, looking as if she had been about to say something else, but had, for whatever reason, decided not to.

"Yeah," Edward said, his soft voice quiet. "I can't imagine what there going through." Having been staring down at his feet, fiddling with his fingers, he looked up at Doctor Harper, sighing. "I have no idea who I'm going to take with me." He gave the Doctor a hopeful look. "Do you know anybody I could take with me?"

Doctor Harper shrugged, shaking his head. "No, not really," he said, being blunt about it. "You wouldn't like the suggestion I would have anyway."

Edward stood up, desperate. "Who?" he asked, going up to Doctor Harper.

Doctor Harper sighed. "You're not going to like it, but here it goes," he said, taking a deep breath. "I know you two don't get along, but you could bring Foy along."

Edward gaped at him in disbelief. "Foy?" he asked. "Why Foy?'

"It would keep him away from Anna and Albert, for one thing," Doctor Harper said. "Plus, it would give you an extra man for the job. " He gave Ruth an apologetic look. "Please, don't take this personally, Mrs. Phelps, but it would be best, perhaps, if Edward didn't take you with him. This is dangerous journey, even for man. I couldn't imagine what it would be like for a woman, especially in this day and age."

"I hate to admit it, Ruth, but he's right," Edward said, stepping back from Doctor Harper. "It doesn't mean I have to like it, though." He sat back down on the couch with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest, like a spoiled boy who hadn't gotten what he had wanted.

Ruth laid a hand on his shoulder, looking over at Doctor Harper. "Nothing against you, Doctor Harper, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with you." She looked back over at Edward. "As much as I would love to go, Edward, I got to stay here." She bent down and ruffled Eddie's hair. "Someone's got to watch Eddie."

Eddie, who was sitting cross-legged in the floor at his mother's feet, looked up at her, giving her a small, mischievous grin.

Ruth looked up from Eddie, "Besides, I want to stay here and help Anna with Albert," she said. "After the baby's born she's going to need all of the extra help that she can get."

Getting frustrated, Edward threw up his hands up in surrender. "You're right," he said, shaking his head. "I hate to admit it, it but you're right. Both of you." He stared down at his knees, folding his hands across his lap. "I'll try to get up with Foy tonight and see if he wants to go tomorrow." His voice was low. "I want to leave first thing in the morning, before sunrise, if possible. "The sooner we get going, the better.

Ruth gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You'll do fine, honey," she said, rubbing her hand up and down his arm. "It's Foy I'm worried about."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, me too," he said. "I don't think he'll even want to help us, not after what Millie done to him."

Ruth, for the first time, looked worried. "Yeah, you might be right," she said, "but we still got to try."

Doctor Harper nodded. "Couldn't hurt," he said. "Unless Foy manages to beats the shit out of you, then it might hurt." before his mood went serious, which had always been an unnatural characteristic for him, but was starting to becoming an unusual, normal one "If you don't at least, try, however, I'm afraid Albert's not going to be with us much longer, and I know you don't want that."

Edward shook his head. "No, we don't, " he said, his eyes growing distant. When he looked back up at Doctor Harper, it was almost as if he was staring past him. "There's something I meant to ask you, Doctor Harper, when we were up there with Albert, but I didn't think it was the time." He raised a questioning eyebrow at Doctor Harper. "How come you didn't stitch up Albert's wound after you got the bullet out?" it didn't look right. It didn't look like a normal bullet wound, but I guess it wouldn't.

Doctor Harper blinked, looking surprised by the question. "Good question," he said. "Wasn't expecting it, but it was still a good question, nevertheless. To answer it, I knew it was taking a big risk, but, where Albert was poisoned, I didn't want to seal it up right away. I wanted to wait and see what the side effects of the poison would be, so I would be able to recognize it in any patients I might have in the future who might be inflected with it. I have dealt with patients before who have been poisoned with this particular snake venom, but I'm afraid all of them were already dead when I got the chance to examine them. It was just an unfortunate twist of fate that Albert ended up being the one that had to be my guinea pig, but, I'm hoping, by, studying him, and the way the poison attacks his system, I just might be able to prevent any more unfortunate victims from dying from it."

Edward, Ruth, and Eddie, who had been staring at Doctor Harper in silence during his whole speech, in complete awe, blinked at him in unison.

"Why, Doctor Harper, we had no idea," Ruth said, smiling. "I think you might be fooling people with that eccentric, mad scientist act you've been putting on all these years."

Doctor Harper winked at her, dipping his hat a little. "Hard to say, ma'am," he said, turning around to head out the door. "Whatever the case may be, I'm afraid I really must go, now. I would love to stay and chit-chat some more, but I have more patients waiting for me." He walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

The Phelps were still staring at each long after Doctor Harper had left, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

Before Edward went to go look for Foy, he, Ruth, and Eddie decided to go back home first so Edward could have more time to prepare for the trip. Later on during the day, after Ruth and Eddie had helped Edward pack and they had eaten supper, just before sunset, Edward went looking for Foy.

He thought it would be the best, and most sensible thing to do, to go to their house first. He knew where they lived. Hell, everyone in town knew where the Ellisons lived. They lived in the classier, upper part of town now (if there was such a thing as an upper class in Old Stump, which, to Edward, had always looked the same anywhere you looked), and had the biggest, most fanciest house in Old Stump. It was practically a fucking mansion. If you were traveling just outside of town, you could see it from miles around. Foy had bought it after he had married Louise and they had moved into it not long afterwards, only further escalating the feud between the Starks, Phelps, and the Ellisons,

Walking up to the big-ass place, he stared up at in disgust, hovering his hand over the gleaming, bronze handle hanging from the door knob for a few more seconds before he slammed the handle against the door, wanting to stall as long as he could. He didn't want to stay with the Ellisons any longer than he had to.

He had always wondered, but he had never found out how much money the they had. If the size of their house was anything to go by, they must've had quite a bit. If they had as much as the figure Edward was imagining in his head right then, they had every right to spend it on something as luxurious as the monstrous house he was gaping up at now. Edward couldn't help but think, though, if they were that wealthy, couldn't Foy had spent what was sure to be valuable tax payers' money on something more useful? Like, say a library, perhaps? Or maybe a better school? God knew Old Stump needed a better education. More than half of the towns' people didn't know how to read.

It had taken a few more minutes, but Louise was the one who answered the door. She stood at the doorstep, staring at him. Edward stared back, taking in her pale, distrusting face. He had never been able to see what Albert had seen in Louise. Sure, she was pretty, but in a cold, heartless kind of way. It was a good thing that Anna had came around when she had and changed Albert's mind about Louise, and just at the last minute, too. Who knew what Louise would've done to Albert if she had stayed with him a moment longer. Albert might've not have felt the same at the time, but Edward was starting to think it was a good thing that Louise had been one one to have broken up with Albert first, because he knew Albert never would've done it. He had loved Louise, with all of his heart, and never would have even dared himself to think about breaking up with her, knowing how lucky he had been to have a woman like her. The two of them had been childhood friends, just like him and Albert had been, and she had turned around and stabbed him in the back just when he had needed him the most. Louise and Albert just never would've worked out as a couple. They had never been meant for each other in the first place. Louise was too coldhearted and conniving for Albert, and Albert was too gullible and loving for her.

Louise didn't look too happy to see him, of course. She stared down at him like he was some sort of bug that had crawled up out of the sewer. "What are you doing here?" she asked. No hello or nothing, but Edward hadn't been expecting one, not from Louise.

Edward cleared his throat, strengthening up. He might've thought Louise was pretty, but he'd be damned if he was going to make himself look like a fool in front of her. That was what she and Foy wanted, and he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction, not ever. "I came here looking for you're husband," he said. "Is he home?"

Louise wrinkled her nose, as if she had smelt something rotten. "Might be," she said, and Edward saw a mischievous glint flickering in her eyes. "It depends on why you're looking for him."

Edward tried to peer over her shoulder, hoping to see Foy, but Louise kept on blocking his sight. "I need to speak to him," he said, getting frustrated. "_Inside_, if you don't mind."

Louise looked offended, but, then again, she always looked like that. "Why can't you tell me first?" she asked.

It was all Edward could do to hold in his temper."I will tell you," he said, grinding his words out. "Just let me in first."

Louise gave him a grin. "Say the magic word first," she said, and folded her arms under her breasts, leaning against the door.

"What?" Edward snapped. "Please?"

Louise didn't look impressed. "Say it like you mean it," she said, enjoying Edward's plight and growing frustration.

Edward stomped his feet, putting his fists on his hips. "This is stupid!" he yelled, unable to contain his anger any longer. "You're acting like a child Louise." He tried to push himself through the door, but Louise wouldn't budge. "Let me in." He gave a gentle push against her arms, not wanting to give Foy and Louise any reason to press any sexual assault charges on him.

Louise tilted her chin up in a haughty manner. "Now who's acting like a child?" she asked, knowing she was in charge of the situation and reveling in it. "Just say the magic word and I will let you in."

Edward fell back, almost tripping and falling over a step behind him. "Please?" he asked, once he had steadied himself, gasping for breath. He had done his best to sound like he had meant it this time, and hated himself for it.

Much to his relief, Louise gave him a small, smug nod of satisfaction. "Much better," she said, stepping out form under the doorway. "You may come in now."

Edward glared at her. "Thank you," he said, getting ready to walk in when Louise stuck her foot out in front of him, causing him to stagger again.

Louise turned away from him, acting as if nothing had happened."Wipe you feet off first," she said. "I just had the maid clean up the carpet, and I would hate to have to see her moping around here again."

Making sure Louise was watching him, Edward refused to take his eyes off of her, stomping his feet as hard as he could on the welcoming mat.

"That's good," she said, when he was finished. " You may come in now, I'm afraid, if you must." Without warning, she bent down and pulled the mat out from under his feet, causing him to stagger and trip over himself again, almost causing him to fall for the second time since he had been there, and he hadn't even made it through the door. "I'll just let you wash this later." With that, she walked off, but not before she reached over his shoulder and slammed the door shut behind him. He must've jumped ten inches off the floor. "Just pull your shoes off at the door and go sit down on the couch until I find Foy." Louise headed upstairs. "It shouldn't take long. He should be around here somewhere."

After Louise had disappeared up the steps, Edward took his shoes off at the door, and staggered over to the couch. His legs felt like jelly. When he got to the couch, he slid down on it, using this rare opportunity to study the house. Everything in it screamed money. He had felt dirty just walking across the rug,

Growing anxious, he looked up at the high ceiling, gaping up in awe at the huge chandler dangling above him. He would hate to think how many maids had to clean that thing. Judging by the countless rows of candles burning from the light fixture, it looked like a lot. Starting to get a little dizzy, he looked back down, feeling sick to his stomach. Having been poor all of his life, Edward had never felt comfortable around rich people, or being in fancy places like this one, and he felt even more so now. Where were Foy and Louise? It might've just been him, and the way he was feeling at the moment, but it felt like it was taking them forever to get back down. He just wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as he could.

At last, after what felt like hours, Edward thought he heard footsteps, and he swerved around to see Louise helping an annoyed looking Foy down the steps._ Oh, what was going on here? _Edward thought, trying to keep from jumping and down with glee. _Foy's not looking so good. I wonder what's up with him?_

It was hard, but Edward kept his questions to himself, swerving back around on the couch to watch Foy sit in the chair across from the coffee table in front of him. Louise had to help ease him down onto the chair. Edward noticed that Foy kept his legs spread apart, keeping them from touching each other as he plopped down on the chair with a pained grunt.

Trying to act as if nothing was amiss, Edward sat in the sofa, "Hello, Foy," he said, struggling to keep his impassive expression composed. "It's nice seeing you again."

Foy snorted, blowing air through his mustache, which made it flutter. "You're such an obvious liar, Phelps, it's not even funny," he said, through gritted teeth. "It's just pathetic. Just don't even try it, not with me, not now. I'm not in the mood." He got right down to business. "Now, let's get get straight to the point, so I can get you out of my house." He fell back against the chair, crossing his arms over his chest."Why are you here?"

"You're not going to like it," Edward said.

"Just go ahead and get it over with ," Foy said. Edward thought he looked like he was constipated. "I know I'm going to have hear about it sooner or later, anyway."

Edward sighed."Well, in that case, then," he said, taking a deep breath. "I need your help."

Edward could see a angry bulge throbbing in Foy's left cheek, which was beginning to turn red from pent-up rage. "With what?" he asked.

"I want you to help me get something," Edward said, watching veins pop up all around Foy's neck, "for Albert." He cringed, bracing himself for an attack from Foy that never came. "He needs it fast, and If he doesn't get as soon as possible, he's going to die!" He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes until he opened and saw Foy still sitting in his chair,

"Why do you need me to help Albert?" he asked, clinching his hands into fists, "and why should I help that little weasel, anyway?" Years of bubbled the surface in Foy's voice, which was rising up in his "What has he ever done for me, except to cause me years of humiliation and mockery?'

Edward was eye to eye with Foy."You owe Albert one," he said, "for sparing your sorry, pathetic, useless excuse for a life in that dual, and you know it." He pointed an accusing finger at him, standing up. "It would've taken a man with a very big set of balls to do what Albert done for you, especially after the shitty way you've treated him after all these years." He leaned over the coffee table in front of them, jabbing his finger in his stomach.

Foy flinched away. Glaring at his forehead, Edward could almost see the gears in his mind working as he tried to come up with some sort of comeback, some sort of excuse, but he found none, of course, just as Edward suspected he wouldn't.

Foy sighed. "You're right," he said in the end. "You're right, and as much as I hate to admit it, there's nothing I can say to deny it." Sagging, he sunk further into the couch, scrunching himself up so tight he somehow managed to make himself look smaller than what he already was, so small he almost looked like a scolded, little schoolboy, even with his mustache. Edward almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

Edward headed for the door. "You're damn right, I'm right," he said, opening the door. "We leave tomorrow, just before dawn." He looked back over his shoulder at Foy one last time. "You can meet me at the Starks' old cabin in the morning if you want. Ruth and Eddie are going to be staying with them while I'm gone. I'm going to go back to tell her goodbye in the morning, before I leave I suggest you and Louise do the same, and spend as much time with each other you can. No ones knows how long long this trip will be, or how long it will be until we get back..." He looked over at Louise, dipping his hat to her. "Goodbye, Louise. I would say it's been a pleasure seeing you again, but I'm sorry it hasn't."

With that, he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

He didn't even look back once.

_There, _he thought, a small grin of satisfaction stretching across his face, _let them chew on that for awhile. _He could've only imagined the look that must've been on Louise's face after he the slammed the door in it, and he almost wished he had stayed a moment longer to see it, but he had already spent more time with the Ellisons than he had wanted, and he was ready to go home. Besides, the expression he had pictured her wearing in his mind's eye was good enough for him, and, on the way home, he realized, with horror, that he had been whistling, and made himself stop before he got back to the house. Now was not the time for whistling. He would hate to think what his wife and son would think of him if he came back home whistling, especially when his best, and oldest childhood friend was so sick, so sick there was a chance he could die, but Edward wasn't about to let that happen.

Not if he could help it.


	8. SEVEN: Departure

SEVEN:

Departure

The Phelps went back to the Starks' place after Edward had came back from the Ellisons. After he had saddled and bridled the horse he was taking on the journey, Ruth and Eddie helped him gather up his he had to pack for the trip, putting in the saddle bags hanging from the horse. After he helped Ruth and Eddie climb up on the horse, All three of the Phelps, being small people, managed to fit on the horse, with Ruth sitting behind her husband and Eddie sitting behind his mother, right on the tail end of the animal, but the boy didn't seem to mind. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it. He was whooping and hollering, and throwing his hands op in the air, not having a care in the world.

Ruth looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, shaking her head. "So, what did he say?" she asked, looking forward to stair at the back of her husband's head, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Well, nothing really, to tell you the truth, " Edward said, knowing she was talking about Foy, "but I think he'll help."

Ruth gripped his waist. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

Edward looked down at her. "Because...I said something..." he said, pulling her hair back to kiss her forehead.

Ruth tilted her head up at him, intrigued. "What?" she asked, kissing him back on the cheek.

"Oh, nothing," Edward said, looking forward.

Ruth pinched him in the side, making him flinch and yelp in pain. "Tell me!" she hissed in his ear.

Edward shrugged. "What?" he asked. "All I did was tell him that I needed him to help me get something for Albert, and that he owed Albert one for sparing his life in that dual."

Incredulous, Ruth looked up at him, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "And he didn't say anything about it?" she asked.

Edward shook his head. "No, but I think he'll come and help," he said, feeling sure of himself for once.

Ruth, being a strong and determined woman, wasn't about to be deterred that easily. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

Edward was trying very hard to hold in his temper, but Ruth was making it difficult. "Just the way he looked when I left," he said, wishing she would change the subject to something else.

Ruth wasn't about to let it go, however."Wait, what do you mean?" she asked, more stubborn than ever. "How did he look?"

Edward gave up, letting the reins droop in his fingers. "I don't know!" he cried, throwing his hands up in the air without thinking. Ruth flinched back from him in surprise, and Edward gripped the reins again, horrified at what he had done. He hardly ever raised his voice at Ruth "He just...he just looked defeated, you know? Like he had given up."

Ruth looked surprised. "That doesn't sound like Foy," she said. "If he shows up in the morning, though, I promise I will change my mind about him."

Edward sighed, feeling very tired all of a sudden."Yeah, me, too," he said, kissing Ruth again, this time on the cheek. He savored the rest of the ride to the Starks' cabin, knowing what remaining time he had left with his family was limited.

* * *

Clutching Albert's hand, Anna looked up, thinking she had heard someone knocking on the door downstairs. Startled, she looked over at George, who hadn't left the room since his son had gotten shot and poisoned.

"Who do you think that is?" she asked, not knowing why. She knew George couldn't have known who it was, either. He had been in the room with her and Albert the whole time. Maybe she was just looking for some solace and reissuance from another living, human being. George, being the strong and silent type, had hardly said two words to her, and Albert was still alive, but he hadn't been talking much since Ruth and Edward had left. "Do you think it could be Edward and Ruth?"

George shook his head, shrugging. "Could be," he said, and both of them fell silent, listening to the footsteps coming up the stairs. It sounded like there was more than one person, but Anna couldn't be sure. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was, indeed, Edward and Ruth, holding Eddie between them.

"Oh, Ruth and Edward!" she cried, standing up, but she had stood up too fast, and swayed. Gasping for breath, she leaned against the bed for support, clutching at her throbbing belly. She hadn't told anybody, but she had been having steady contraptions all day, more so than usual, and they had been getting more and more violent with each one. She knew it wouldn't be much longer until the baby came now. As heavy as her belly had been feeling, it felt like she was going to have more than one.

"Anna!" Ruth cried in alarm, running to her aid. "Are you all right?" She gripped her shoulders, turning her around to face her. "Speak to me!"

Once she had gotten her breath back, Anna nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, Ruth," she said, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat. "I just stood up to fast is all." Feeling dizzy, she put a shaky hand on her forehead, swaying a little. She went to sit on the edge of the bed, but Ruth stopped her.

"Here, let me help you," she said, easing her down on the bed. "There, is that better?" Kneeling down in front of Anna, she put her hands on her knees, looking up at her with an anxious look on her face.

"Yes, much better," Anna said, squeezing Ruth's hand in reassurance. "Thank you."

Edward walked over to them, dragging Eddie along by the hand. "Is she all right?" he asked, looking down at Anna. His face was white.

"Yes, I think so," Ruth said, looking over Anna one last time as if to make sure. "You are, aren't you, Anna?"

"Yes," Anna said. "I'm a just a little tired, is all." She yawned. "I think I'm ready for bed."

"Yes, I think we are all," Ruth said, looking over at Edward and seeing how tired he looked. Eddie was yawning as well. "I think it's time we all went to lay down for the night." She gave her husband a stern look. "That goes for you, too, mister. You've got to get up early in the morning."

Edward was fighting back a yawn himself as she spoke, covering his mouth with his hand. "Yeah, I know," he said. "Don't remind me."

Anna looked over at Edward. "Oh, that reminds me," she said. "I almost forgot, but I meant to ask you if you ever found anybody to take on your trip with you."

Edward shook his head with deep regret. "I wish I had a better answer for you, but, to tell you the truth, no, I didn't." He sighed. "I did ask one person, but I haven't heard back from them, yet."

Anna was intrigued. "Oh, who was it?" she asked.

Edward almost looked afraid to speak. "It was Foy," he said, at last.

Anna gaped at him in disbelief. "Foy?" she asked. "What were you thinking?" Anna glared at Edward, her eyes burning with fire and fury."Why did you ask Foy?"

"Trust us, it wasn't our idea," Ruth said. "Doctor Harper was the one who suggested it."

"But why?" Anna asked.

Ruth shook her head. "None of us knows," she said. "I think Doctor Harper just wanted Edward to take somebody along with him that he knew."

Anna turned to Ruth. "But what about you?" she asked. "You're going with him, aren't you?"

Ruth shook her head again. "No," she said. "I decided to stay here. Doctor Harper said it would be too dangerous for me to go, and he's right. It is no journey for a woman to go on, even if she was with her husband." She looked over at Edward and smiled, giving him a wink. "Edward can only protect me from so much, you know. Albert might be a little goofball, but he was right about one thing. These are dangerous times, and this is a dangerous place. There are a million ways to die in the west, especially these days. Besides, after I thought about it, I decided I would rather stay here with you, anyway, Anna. After the baby's born, you're going to need more help. You can't take care of it and Albert both."

Anna looked down and sighed. "You right," she said. "I owe you an apology, Edward. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm sorry."

Edward shook his head. "No, that's all right," he said. "You don't have to apologize. I know you didn't mean it."

Anna was relived. "Thank you," she said. "I'm glad. I would hate to loose your friendship over somebody like Foy."

Edward nodded, smiling. "Yeah, so would I," he said.

Ruth stood up. "Good, " she said, grabbing Anna's hand. "I'm glad you two made up. Do you need help?"

Anna gave her a blank look. "With what?" she asked.

Ruth indicated her with a nod of her head. "Getting up, " she said. "You look like you could use some help."

Anna shook her head."No, that's all right," she said. "I can make it." She pushed herself up with a grunt, gripping her belly. "See?" Swaying, she staggered a little, steadying herself on the edge of the bed.

Ruth didn't look too convinced. "Uh huh," she said, shaking her lead. "Looks like it." She began to turn away. "I'll leave you alone, though. Edward and I are going on to bed, if that's okay with you."

Anna nodded. "Oh, sure," she said, staggering after Ruth. "I thought about going on to bed myself. I'll be right after you." She looked over at Albert. "I just want to stay with Albert for awhile longer."

Ruth shook her head. "Just make sure you get some sleep, Anna," she said, laying a protective hand over her shoulder. "I'm worried about you."

Anna laid her hand over hers. "Don't be," she said. "I can take care of myself."

Ruth still didn't look reassured. "I hope so, Anna, "she said, kissing her on the cheek. "I don't want to risk loosing you, too, or the baby." She walked away, leaving Anna feeling a little guilty. She watched the Phelps leave, wishing that her friends wouldn't worry, and that she wouldn't make them worry, but she wasn't about to play the role of the helpless, pregnant farmwife just for the sake of her friends, no matter how much she cared for them, even though it made her feel like the meanest bitch in the west and she hated herself for it. That just wasn't her, and Edward and Ruth knew it. Anna Stark had never been a woman who cared what others thought about her. Anna Leatherwood hadn't, either, for that matter. Besides, Albert needed her too much. She wouldn't give up on him.

Once the Phelps were gone, she turned away from the door and waddled back over to her husband, her hands cupping her belly. She knelt down beside the bed, clasped his hands in hers, and watched her husband until she had fallen into a fretful sleep. Her dreams were more like nightmares, filled blood and screams.

* * *

Later that night, Edward and Ruth laid in bed together, both of them naked. Edward was pressed up against Ruth's bare back, with his arms wrapped around her, cupping both of her breasts in his hands.

Ruth moaned. "Oh, Edward," she whispered, grabbing one of his hands. "That was wonderful." She pulled his hand over her flat stomach, urging him to make his hands go lower.

Edward chuckled. "I thought so, too," he said, pulling her hair back to kiss her on the cheek. Kneading her breasts, his fingers went lower, trailing down to her belly button. He stuck his finger in it, twirling it around inside it, feeling her stomach constrict at his touch.

"Oh, Edward," Ruth said, arching her back. Edward stiffened, feeling her butt press against his large, hanging member. "I'm going to miss this."

"Me too," Edward said, shuddering with ecstasy. He turned Ruth over on her back, causing her to squeal with delight. Crawling over her, he straddled her hips with his legs, bending over her belly. He lowered his head over her heaving breasts, burying it in the valley in between them. Hovering his mouth over her belly, he ran his tongue up and down it, kissing it. Gripping her waist, his hands went up and down her legs and into her vagina, his fingers raking through the ebony hair covering it.

"More, Edward!" Ruth cried.

Making sure she got what she wanted, Edward rose up and entered her, sliding his penis into her vagina. Ruth screamed, rising up to let him inside her, her body bucking underneath him.

Together, they loved each other for the rest of the night, neither of them knowing when, or if, they would be able to take such pleasure in each other again.

* * *

Much to everyone's great surprise and relief, Foy had arrived in the morning, riding astride his own horse, a brown and white spotted Stallion, Ruth and Edward ran out to meet him, having heard him knocking on the door.

Standing in the doorway, Edward and Ruth gaped at him, as if he had been some sort of mythological Greek hero who had just stepped out of myth and legend and right onto their doorstep."You came, " Ruth said, still unable to believe what she was seeing. "I can't believe it, you came."

Foy snorted. "Yes, but don't for once think I'm doing this doing for either of you," he said, pointing a finger at both of them. "I'm just doing this to get out of debt from Albert."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right," he said, giving Foy a teasing grin. "Nice, try, Foy. We all know, you care."

"Enough with the chit-chat," he said, going back to his horse. "I want to leave this wretched place as soon as possible. "

Ruth ran after Foy. "Not so fast, mister," she said, running out in front of him. "You're going in to see Albert and Anna first, before you go anywhere."

Foy glared at her. "And why on earth would I want to do that, Mrs. Phelps?" he asked.

Ruth held her ground, planting her fists on her hips. "Because, I want you see just how serious Albert's situation is," she said. "Maybe then you'll appreciate what you're doing for him a little bit more."

Foy was skeptical. "I doubt that," he said, much to Ruth and Edward's dismay, but, to his credit, he did turn to head back to the cabin. "But I'll go anyway, just to shut you and Edward up." He turned around to face them, walking backwards the rest of the way to the cabin." Ruth hoped he would trip over the porch. She knew Edward was thinking the same thing, judging by the intense look of hatred on his face, but they didn't have much luck. Foy had better balance then they had thought he did, and had made it onto the porch without tripping the first time. "I would hate to have to listen to you to prattle on and on about it for the rest of my life."

Edward and Ruth gaped after him as he went into the cabin. They followed after him, not wanting to let him out of their sight for not even a second.

Foy stopped when they got inside, looking around the living room in disgust. Foy had always though himself above poor people like Albert, and had never understood why Albert wasted the award money he had earned after he had shot and killed Clinch Leatherwood on all of the sheep he had bought. "Now, where are they?" he asked.

Ruth walked up to them. "They're upstairs," she said, and took his hand, leading him up the stairs. Edward and Eddie followed close behind them.

When they walked into Albert and Anna's room, Anna was still sitting by Albert's bedside, clutching his hand. Edward thought she must've been asleep because she hadn't looked up when they had walked in.

"Anna?" Ruth asked, looking worried. "Anna, are you okay?" She bent down beside Anna, beginning to shake her shoulder. "Are you awake?" Just in case Anna hadn't felt her the first time, Ruth shook her some more. "Anna?"

It took a moment, but Anna's head rose, and she blinked the rest of the sleep and grogginess out of her eyes. "Ruth?" she asked. There were deep, dark bags under her eyes, which were red and swollen, as if she had been crying all night, but neither of them would've been able to picture Anna crying,

Ruth gasped. "Oh, Anna!" she cried, cupping her face in her hands. "You look horrible, dear!" She tilted her head from side to side, inspecting it. "Are you all right?"Seeing that there was nothing wrong with her, except for her eyes, which were red and bloodshot, and knowing that there was nothing she could do about it, she let go of Anna's head, her shoulder's dropping in despair and surrender. "Didn't you get any sleep at all last night?"

Anna blinked, as if she didn't know where she was. "I don't...know...I can't remember..." she trailed off, shaking her head to clear it. "My mind's...blank... " She shuddered, putting her hand over her forehead.

Ruth gripped Anna's shoulders, giving them a gentle shake. "You sure you're all right?" she asked, gazing up at her friend with a concerned look on her face.

Anna gave Ruth a slow nod. "Yes, I think so," she said.

Ruth grabbed her. "You sure?" she asked, still concerned.

"Yes," Anna said, pushing Ruth away with fondness. "Now quit worrying about me. " She just happened to turn around, and noticed Foy for the first time. "What's he doing here?" She

"He's going to go with Edward to get the flower for Albert," Ruth said, still unable to believe it.

Anna didn't look as if she believed it, either. She gave Foy a skeptical look. "Okay, what's in it for you?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "I know you can't be doing this for nothing."

Foy put on a hurt look. "Why, Mrs. Stark, you wound me," he said, clutching his stomach and bending over. "I have you know that I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart, and I would hate to have you think any less of me." He raised back up to see Anna's disgusted expression.

Anna snorted. "You're so full of shit, Foy," she said. "You make me sick." Anna was starting to look a little pale, Ruth thought, staring at her face, but she didn't say anything about it, knowing that this wouldn't be the best time mention it. "What kind of idiot falls for that crap? I hope you don't try to pull that stuff over on your mother."

"I'm telling the truth, Mrs. Stark," he said, taking his hat off and holding it over his chest. "You and Albert have nothing but my kindest, deepest and best wishes. " He looked over at Albert, nodding. "Can I go over and talk to him?"

Anna shrugged. "Sure," she said, not looking as if she liked the idea. "He's not saying much, though. He hasn't said the first word to me all morning."

Wondering what Foy had up his sleeve, Ruth watched him walk over to Albert's bed, ready to attack Foy if he showed even the slightest hint of any hostility toward Albert.

Foy cleared his throat, bending down beside Albert's bed. "Uh, hello, Albert," he said, shifting "You might be surprised to see me here, but it's me, Foy." He jumped, startled, when, without warning, Albert's hand shot up to grab Foy's, crushing it in a death grip.

Plugger, who had been lying curled up at Albert's feet ever since he had been bedridden, eaped up and started barking at Foy, who flinched back.

Albert's eyes flew open. "What...are you... doing here...?" he asked, gasping each word out. "Come..to gloat...?"

Foy shook his head. "N-n-no," he said, stammering. "I swear, Albert, I didn't." He tried to pull his hand loose from Albert's, but had very little luck. Albert might not have looked very tough right then, but he had a stronger grip than what one would've thought he would have had in the condition he was in. "Please, call off that damn dog of yours so I can speak!"

Anna whistled. "Here, Plugger!" she called out to the dog, patting her knee. "Down, boy!"

With a one last look at Foy, Plugger jumped off the bed and went over to Anna, but with great reluctance. Anna bent down and started to pet him, pressing him against her stomach. "That's a good boy, Plugger," she said, running her hand through his slick black and white fur. "That's a real good boy. " She buried her head in the fur on the top of his head, closing her eyes.

Foy sighed, his shoulders sagging with relief. "Thank God that blasted mutt's gone at last," he said, taking a deep breath. "Now, if I may speak?" When no one prevented him from doing so, he covered his mouth, clearing his throat. "No, Albert, as hard as it is for you to believe, I didn't come here to gloat." He looked down at his lap, avoiding Albert's gaze. "It's not easy for me to say this, but I came to tell you good-bye, and that I'm going to off with Edward to find that flower for you."

"How...do you...expect me...to believe that...?" Albert panted. "I know...you're in this...for something...for you...you're not here for me..."

Prying his hand from Albert's, Foy stood up. "Believe what you want, then," he said, straightening his hat back on his head," but I 'am going with your friend Edward, and we're coming back with that flower." He turned to walk out the door, looking over his shoulder at Ruth and Edward. "There you go, Mr. Phelps. I have seen Albert." He bowed to Ruth, tipping his hat toward her. "Farewell, Mrs. Stark." He descended down the steps.

Anna raised her head up from Plugger, looking over at Ruth. "Do you believe him?" she asked, tilting her head toward the steps Foy had just went down.

"I don't know, " Ruth said. " I want to...but I can't." She sighed. "I just can't trust him, not yet." She shook her head."If he comes back with that flower, I'll change my mind, but not until then."

"Yeah, me, too," Anna said, laying her hand over Plugger's back to push herself up again. Once she had regained her balance, she looked over at Albert. "Are you going to be all right?" She waddled over to the bed, " I'm going to go downstairs with Edward and Ruth, to see Edward off. You think you'll be okay until I get back?"

Albert gave her a weak nod. "Yeah..." he said, gripping her hand. "Just...hurry back...please..."

Anna bent over him, kissing him on the forehead. "I will," she said, squeezing his hand one more time. "I promise." Running her fingers through his hair, she stood up, walking over to Edward and Ruth.

Edward walked up to her. "I would like to give him one last goodbye, before I leave," he said. "If you don't mind."

"Sure, go ahead," Anna said, stepping to the side to get out of his way.

Edward gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you," he said, walking over to the side of Albert's bed and squeezing his hand. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, Al, old buddy. For now, at least. Try to hang in there until I get back, okay?"

"Try..." Albert murmured. "Just...be careful...Edward..."

"I will," Edward said, squeezing his hand again before standing up. "I promise." He let go of Albert's hand. "Goodbye, buddy. I'll be back as soon as I can with that flower. I promise." With that, he turned around, and went back to Ruth and Anna, who let him and Ruth help her back down the steps.

* * *

When they got downstairs, Ruth and Edward helped Anna sit on the couch.

Anna groaned, struggling to get herself into a comfortable position, which was a very hard thing to do with her belly. "Thank you, Ruth," she gasped, once she had settled into a at last.

"You're welcome," Ruth said. "It was no problem."

"Yeah, it was nothing," Edward said. "Are you all right?" He looked down at Anna's swollen belly. "I wanted to make sure before I took off."

Anna nodded, smiling back at him. "Yes, I' am," she said. "Thank you, Edward, for your help."

Edward bent over and took her hand in hers, kissing it. "You're very welcome, Anna," he said, raising back up and letting go of her hand. "You know I would do all I can to help you and Albert."

"I know," Anna said, looking down at her belly. She began to rub it.

Edward bent over and gave her a hug. Anna hugged him back. "Well, I guess I'm off, then," he said, taking a deep breath. "Wish me luck." He headed for the door.

Ruth ran over to him, holding her arms out toward him. "Oh, Edward!" She threw herself at him, flinging her arms around him, clutching him to her chest. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you." She planted kisses on each of cheeks, and his nose, before kissing him right back on the mouth. Still clutching his arms, she pulled away at him, There were tears in her eyes. "I'm going to miss you."

Edward, gasping for breath, bent over. "Me...too..." he wheezed, clutching his chest. "I'll try...not to...get myself...killed." He swallowed, still gasping for breath. "I know...if I don't...you'll be stomping... on my... grave... when they...find...my body..."

Ruth punched him in the chest, causing him to double over in pain. "You damn right I will!" She stomped her feet, planting her fists on his as she stared down at her husband, "Oh, Edward, you search a nerd!" She held her hand out to him to help him up, starting to feel a little bad for the way she was treating him.

Edward took her hand, pulling himself up with a groan. "Thanks...I guess..." he panted, dusting his suit off with his hands. Once he had gotten his breath back and had pulled himself together, he grabbed her by the arms, and pulled her to him, giving her a lingering kiss on the mouth until they both pulled away.

"Goodbye Edward, and good luck," Ruth said, giving him one last kiss on the cheek. "I'll be waiting for you here when you get back."

"I'll do my best to get back here alive, Ruth," Edward said, giving her one last kiss before he turned to leave. "I promise." He peered into her eyes with a look of pure love and longing on his face. "I love you."

Ruth hugged him one last time. "I love you, too, Edward," she whispered, stepping away from him.

Eddie, who had followed them down the stairs, running toward his mother and father and Daddy, wait!" Eddie cried, running in between his mother and father and breaking up what might've been their last romantic moment together. ""I love you too, Daddy!" He wrapped his arms around Edward's legs.

The situation was making Edward awkward, which was nothing new. "I-I-I love you, too, Eddie," he said, bending down to pick up his son. He gave him a long, hard hug before pulling his head back to get one good, long, last look at his son."You be good while I'm gone, all right?"

Eddie nodded. "Promise," he said, sticking his finger in his mouth.

Edward patted him on the shoulder. "That's my boy," he said, letting him down. "Goodbye, kiddo." He took a few steps toward the door."Try not to give your mother too hard of time, all right?"

Eddie shook his head. "I won't, " he said, his words muffled by the finger he still had in his mouth. "Bye, Daddy."

Edward walked out the door for good. Holding Eddie in her arms, Ruth lingered in the doorway to watch him leave, staring after him long after he had climbed up on his horse and had rode way, Foy riding along beside him. Waving after them, she and Eddie watched them until they both disappeared into the horizon.


End file.
